


Delicate

by TDKeh16



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkward Romance, Bad Parenting, Bartenders, Falling In Love, Frottage, Idiots in Love, Jack Zimmermann Didn't Go to Samwell, Light Angst, Love at First Sight, M/M, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, NHL Player Jack Zimmermann, Oral Sex, Past Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Past Suicide Attempt, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2020-10-26 03:35:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 86,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20735585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TDKeh16/pseuds/TDKeh16
Summary: And so it was that Jack was traded to the Providence Falconers. A scrappy team that wasn't terrible, but also not terribly impressive. They usually hovered around the middle of their conference, occasionally making the playoffs, but more often than not they missed the wildcard spot by only a couple of points.The Falcs were doing well so far this season, but that was almost no thanks to Jack. An injury the second week of November had derailed him for at least the remainder of the calendar year. With his history, Jack had insisted on the bare minimum for painkillers, not wanting to risk longer-term exposure to any prescription that was not 110% necessary.Maybe it was the lingering physical pain a week after his prescription ran out, maybe it was a different kind of pain that had yet to heal, but Jack finally left his condo in search of a place to self-medicate. He found a small bar a couple streets away and decided to take a chance that he would not be recognized.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this idea for a while and finally got over the writer's block (mostly) keeping me from finishing the first chapter. I've already started on the next part, so here's hoping to keep the momentum going!

Jack Zimmermann had been having a difficult year. Or two. His fiancée had left him three months before they were supposed to get married. He hadn't seen it coming. Instead he woke up alone one morning with a note on her side of the bed, informing him that she had fallen for her personal trainer, and was running off to marry him instead.

In retrospect, there were signs. There was a lot of stress, too. Jack thought that was mainly due to the planning of their wedding too, but their relationship had changed more than he had been willing to recognize in the months leading up to their split. In some ways it was a relief, but it mostly left him hurt, embarrassed, and angry.

It was all downhill from there. No matter how hard Jack tried to keep his personal life off the ice, it didn't work. He had already been having an off year, but after that he became more distracted -- missing shots, making rookie mistakes. He got into more fights than he maybe had in the previous 5 seasons combined. Jack knew the trade was coming, but that didn't make it hurt any less either.

"Sorry, man. I tried to talk them into it, but they said you were just too much of a liability with how things are going right now," Parse had told him one night on the phone. The sliver of a chance that Jack would be back on the same team as his oldest friend was dashed. He appreciated Parse's honesty, at least. He appreciated the next words even more. "Bunch'a fucking assholes. They'll regret it. You'll prove them wrong when you get your groove back."

And so it was that Jack was traded to the Providence Falconers. A scrappy team that wasn't terrible, but also not terribly impressive. They usually hovered around the middle of their conference, occasionally making the playoffs, but more often than not they missed the wildcard spot by only a couple of points.

The Falcs were doing well so far this season, but that was almost no thanks to Jack. An injury the second week of November had derailed him for at least the remainder of the calendar year. With his history, Jack had insisted on the bare minimum for painkillers, not wanting to risk longer-term exposure to any prescription that was not 110% necessary. 

Maybe it was the lingering physical pain a week after his prescription ran out, maybe it was a different kind of pain that had yet to heal, but Jack finally left his condo in search of a place to self-medicate. He found a small bar a couple streets away and decided to take a chance that he would not be recognized.

Jack glanced around when he entered, and immediately spotted a framed photo on the wall of what appeared to be a college hockey team. He froze. If it was a sports bar, then there was an increased risk of him being recognized. 

Looking around the immediate vicinity didn't reveal any other sports-related decorations, so Jack decided to tug his hat a little lower and take a seat at the far end of the bar. 

There was another college hockey team photo on the wall beside him -- the same team as the previous photo, judging by the jerseys. Jack felt a pang of guilt in his chest for letting down his new team by getting injured -- and his previous team for letting the stress of his personal life affect his on-ice performance. 

Why did he make such a habit of letting people down?

Jack was standing to leave when a voice surprised him from behind. "Sorry 'bout the wait. What can I get you, sugar?"

"I..." Jack was momentarily struck speechless. The voice he had heard evidently belonged to the most beautiful man he had ever seen. Honey-blond hair, big brown eyes, and a bright smile, and an athletic body wrapped in a just-tight-enough t-shirt. "Whisky."

"He's usually only here on Fridays." The bartender laughed.

"What?"

"Sorry, that's just a dumb little joke. One of my friends' nicknames is 'Whiskey' so I-- nevermind." He laughed again and wiped down the bar top. Jack stared at his arms and broad shoulders -- well, broad relative to his small frame -- as he did so. "What's your preference?"

Jack's eyes went wide. Oh no, had the bartender caught Jack ogling him so shamelessly? "My preference?"

"Of whiskey. Irish? Tennessee? Scotch? Rye? Bourbon?"

Jack blushed. Truthfully, he had never paid attention enough to whatever kind his parents had in the liquor cabinet back when he used to sneak it for parties. "Um, scotch."

"Blended or single malt?"

"Single." Jack was afraid of what other questions might come up if he chose blended. The last thing he needed was to try to sound like he knew what he was talking about while this cute bartender listed off a dozen things that Scotch could be blended with.

"What's your brand?"

"Anything works. Surprise me." Jack smiled, hoping he sounded casual enough to still be cool.

The bartender smiled and stood up straight, pausing after he turned to the bottles behind him. "What's your price point?"

Fuck. Jack should have just ordered a beer, but no, he had to go and order whisky like he had any clue about what he was doing. "Price, uh... Money isn't really an issue."

The bartender turned back around with a grin on his face and leaned in towards Jack. "Okay, honey? I have anything from a twenty dollar bottle of Johnnie Walker to a two thousand dollar bottle of Macallan 25 -- and that's not even counting the really fancy stuff we keep in the back for special occasions."

"Oh, um, well..."

The bartender finally took pity on him and gave Jack's arm a small pat. "What's your name, darlin'?"

"Jack."

"Nice to meet you, Jack. My name's Eric, but you can call me Bitty."

"Hi."

"Hi," Bitty said as his mouth stretched into a kind smile. "You're pretty new to this whole whisky game, aren't you?"

Jack blushed as he nodded his head. "Yeah, I... I have no clue what I'm doing. Maybe I should just stick to beer--"

"Oh, sweetheart, no. Don't get discouraged. We'll figure out something you like. Satisfaction guaranteed."

Jack could feel his cheek heating up even more than they were already. The affectionate names and the hand on his arm were one thing, but his brain was officially struggling to stay focused on the task at hand and push down any thoughts about Bitty and "satisfaction" that were creeping up. 

"Tell you what -- why don't you take a look at our scotch menu while I quickly settle up the bill for those gentlemen in that booth over there, and then I'll help you decide."

Bitty handed Jack a small tri-folded menu of white lettering on a black background. The first section gave a brief history of the bar and how it came to specialize in various kinds of whiskey/whisky. It was followed by explanations of each type they offered and price listings for the various brands they carried under each type. Some choices had stars next to them, and Bitty returned just as Jack was noticing them.

"The stars are for owners' recommendations. We have varied tastes, as you can see." Bitty laughed.

It took a moment for the words to sink in. "You own this bar?" Jack asked.

"Co-own," Bitty clarified. "Some of my teammates from college got together and we bought a bar. We had a couple of shaky years to start, but business is doing pretty well now."

Jack looked around the bar and noticed that the only other customers were the two middle-aged men preparing to leave. It didn't exactly look like things were doing well.

Bitty laughed when Jack looked back at him. "It's after 10 o'clock on a Tuesday -- not exactly peak business hours, Jack. I assure you we're busier earlier in the evening and on weekends."

"Oh, I wasn't--"

"It's okay." Bitty patted his arm again reassuringly. "Can I help you decide on something?"

"Why don't you tell me which one of these stars is yours? I'll go with your pick."

"What if I just tell you my suggestion is the most expensive one on the page. Squeeze a few extra dollars out of my last customer of the night."

Jack chuckled. "You might get more customers yet."

"I sure hope not. We closed 15 minutes ago." Bitty saw the shock on Jack's face. "Don't worry. You can stay. I lock the doors at 10pm, but give the customers inside another hour or so to head out. You came in just as I was making the rounds to lock up. Perfect timing."

"Not for you. You probably wanted to go home early and now I'm here putting a wrench in your plans."

"I promise you, it's okay. I don't have any big exciting plans for 11pm on a Tuesday."

The words were out of Jack's mouth before his brain could stop them. "Nobody waiting for you at home?"

Bitty laughed. "Is that your awful attempt at asking if I have a boyfriend?"

Jack chuckled awkwardly. "Or girlfriend. Spouse, partner..."

"No significant others of any kind," Bitty said as he pointed to something on the menu. "For a novice such as yourself, I'd recommend going with this one. It's middle-of-the-line. Good, but won't break the bank."

"Money's really not an issue--"

"I know, sugar. But no point in buying the most expensive glass just to show off if you're not going to appreciate it properly."

Jack chuckled again. "Wow. You don't mess around, huh? You take this pretty seriously."

"My job? At the bar that I own? Yeah, I should hope so." Bitty grinned.

"Point taken," Jack said with a smile as Bitty turned around to pour his drink.

It was strange. Jack had sought out this little bar as a place to drown his sorrows, but he was already having a great time with this charming bartender -- well, bar owner. This night had taken such an unexpected turn.

"What?" Bitty asked when turned around to find Jack smiling at the menu in his hand. "Oh no, did you find a typo? I asked Rans to triple-check before we got them printed off."

Jack immediately put the menu down. "Oh, uh, no. I just-- things have been kinda rough lately. I didn't come out tonight in the best of moods, but... I'm having a good time-- uh, learning about scotch."

"Hm..." The corner Bitty's mouth quirked into a small grin as he set the drink down in front of Jack.

"Sorry. I'm probably just a pain in the ass customer, making you walk me through everything."

Bitty laughed and poured a second glass. "Let's just say that you're lucky you're cute." He lifted the second glass of scotch in his hand. "Cheers?"

"I'll cheers to that." Jack raised his glass and gently clinked them together. He took a large gulp, then grimaced as Bitty laughed at his expense. 

"Burns, huh?"

"Yeah," Jack said between coughs. "Sorry. To be honest, I--" his sentence was interrupted by another cough. "I don't really drink, uh, anymore at least. Maybe the occasional beer but... Last time I drank anything like whisky it was to get drunk as quick as possible so I didn't really..."

Bitty watched Jack look away as he trailed off his sentence. "And what about tonight? Was that your plan? You said earlier that you were having a bad day."

Jack's immediate reaction was to scoff, and his attempt to cover it with a bitter chuckle didn't exactly do the trick. "It wasn't particularly bad... it wasn't particularly anything."

"Ah. Got it." Bitty stepped out from behind the bar and took a seat on the stool next to him. "Bored drinking is a slippery slope, especially alone." He sipped the glass he had poured for himself. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"I don't want to bother you with all that. You've been so nice already."

"You came to a bar late on a weeknight to drink away your sorrows alone, I think I'm legally obligated to be the stereotypical bartender-slash-therapist now."

"I've never had a therapist drink whisky through a session..." Jack laughed when Bitty responded by shrugging his shoulders and taking another sip of his drink. "I think maybe I've been a little isolated lately. It feels like forever since I had a real in-person conversation with another person."

"I find that hard to believe. You seem sweet; I'm sure you have lots of friends."

"Not really. Not here, at least. I got tra-- transferred, uh, here. Earlier this year. For work. And my coworkers seem pretty great, but I haven't spent a lot of time with them outside of the office. I've been off work for a little while 'cuz of an injury, so..."

Bitty eyed Jack's glass. "Does this injury require medication that should definitely not be mixed with alcohol?"

"No, no. Well, it did, but my prescription's out now. You know how earlier I said I used to drink for the sake of getting drunk as fast as possible? I, uh... didn't always stick to booze back then." 

"And now?"

"No, definitely not." Jack shook his head, but Bitty looked shocked. "Shit. No, I meant like I definitely don't do anything like that anymore. And I was worried about the pain meds so I made sure I got the lowest, shortest prescription they were comfortable giving me just to be safe. Still pretty sore, though."

"And you thought alcohol would numb some of that pain?" Bitty grinned. "Rookie mistake, sugar."

"I don't know. I'm feeling pretty good right now. If it's not the alcohol, then what is it?"

"Must be my sparkling personality," Bitty teased.

"Must be."

Bitty turned his attention back to his drink. When he looked up, Jack was still smiling at him. He looked away again, shyly. "I know you're not quite done yet, but can I interest you in another drink?"

"Oh, I don't think I could drink two of these..." Jack admitted before taking a careful sip.

Bitty stood and walked back behind the bar while he finished off his drink. "Not like that. A cocktail. You like maple?"

Jack laughed. "How'd you guess?"

"You're Canadian. It wasn't a stretch."

"What gave me away? The French accent?"

"Something like that." Bitty grinned as he set to work mixing up the mystery cocktail. "And don't worry, my dear friend Rans made sure we got the 'good' syrup -- whatever that means."

Jack leaned over more to get a better look at what Bitty was making. "Huh. You did get the good syrup. Nice."

"I'm still not convinced that this 'good syrup' business isn't some Canada-wide conspiracy to make Americans look foolish. I've seen that Rick Messier video. I know how sneaky y'all are up there, pretending to be so polite all the time."

"Yeah, Canadians are the only ones who do that. I'm sure nobody in the south ever fakes being nice..." Jack grinned.

"Bless your heart, Jack."

Jack snickered and finished off his drink. The large ice cube had melted just enough while he had nursed the drink to take the edge off of the burn from before. "It's Mercer."

"Hm?"

"You're talking about the 'Talking to Americans' video, right? The comedian's name is Rick Mercer. We used to watch those videos in school."

"Charming." Bitty slid the new cocktail in front of him. "Try this, let me know what you think."

Jack was sure to take a sip first this time. "Oh? Yeah, I like this one a lot."

"I knew it."

"Are you going to have one too?"

Bitty chuckled. "Contrary to popular belief, owning a bar doesn't mean getting to drink for free."

"Can I buy you that drink, then? Or one you like more? Unless you really don't want to have a drink. I didn't mean to pressure you."

Bitty smiled and started mixing his own drink. "Well, aren't you sweet? Oh! Are you hungry? I have something in the back that pairs wonderfully with this drink."

Without giving Jack time to respond, Bitty disappeared to the kitchen and returned with one third of a pie and two forks.

"It's maple sugar crusted apple. Dig in."

Jack took a bite and his eyes widened. "Wow. That's... the best pie I've ever tasted. Where'd you get it?"

"My kitchen." Bitty laughed when Jack looked even more surprised. "Well, don't look so shocked."

Jack shook his head, still bewildered. "I can't help it. This is really good. Really good. You should eat some too before I inhale the entire thing."

"I'll join you in a minute, just got to do one last check of the bar to make sure I didn't miss a spot cleaning earlier. Why don't you take a seat in a booth? They're more comfortable than these stools."

Jack did exactly that while carrying the pie tin in one hand and sipping his drink held in the other. He tried his best not to watch Bitty as he flitted around the bar, wiping down the table he had missed. It had been a while since Jack had drank, and just that short walk from the stool to the booth had been enough for the alcohol to start hitting him.

Bitty sat down across from him a few minutes later. "The boys can finish up the little loose ends tomorrow before they open. I doubt they'll mind if I gave myself a break tonight to unwind."

"Do you, uh..." Jack looked down while he idly stirred his drink. "Do you do this a lot? Like, um, this this. Drinks with a customer at the end of your shift?"

"No, never. Well, actually--" Bitty smiled. "There was one other time. This poor girl got dumped by her cheating fiancé and I didn't realize until too late that she'd had a few too many. We ate pie that night too, but we were drinking coffee, not whiskey."

"Oh."

"Sobered her up just enough to get the number of someone I could call -- her sister -- and waited with her until her sister arrived. Sweet girls. Brought me flowers a few days later to thank me for my patience." Bitty laughed.

"Me too."

"Pardon?"

"That happened to me too. The fiancée thing. It was... the start of a pretty bad year."

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean--"

Jack shrugged and shook his head. "It's okay. I'm-- well, not 'over it' but... I'm adjusting. There were signs. She-- I should have tried harder instead of ignoring it."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to see the best in people."

"Yeah, maybe not..." Jack said with a sad sigh. "Still sucks, though."

"It absolutely sucks." Bitty gave Jack's hand a comforting squeeze. "Now, I never had anything as serious as a fiancée before, but I could regale you with a tale or two from my misadventures in dating, if that would cheer you up?"

Jack smiled. "Sure."

"Hmm. Okay, let's see..." Bitty drummed his fingers atop Jack's hand instead of on the table. "Oh! Well, there was this one time where I met a guy online. We had a lot to talk about when we chatted back and forth on the app, but..."

"But?"

"I usually refer to it as the 'silent date' for a reason." Bitty laughed. "We barely spoke the entire evening. It was so awkward. And I don't know if you can tell, but I can be a bit of a chatterbox--"

Jack snickered. "Oh. Sorry, I--"

"Rude," Bitty chirped. "But needless to say, there was no date number two with that boy."

"Yeah, that's a pretty bad first date."

"I agree. Not even my worst one, unfortunately."

Jack waited as Bitty paused to sip his drink, but then no story followed. "Oh, come on! You can't just say that and then not share the story!" 

He was surprised by his own outburst. Jack was not usually one to be boisterous -- at least not with someone he met only an hour before. Bitty was startled too, it seemed. 

"Shit. Uh-- Nevermind. You don't have to tell me, obviously. I thought you meant, like, funny-bad, but maybe you meant actual-bad, and--"

"Slow down, sugar. It's okay. I guess it had the potential to be actually bad, but it's a funny story now -- if not a little embarrassing that I was so lacking in good judgement."

Jack smiled. "I won't judge, I promise. I've made my share of bad decisions."

"Well, you better buckle up because you're in for a wild ride." Bitty finished his drink and leaned forward on the table. 

"I'm ready." 

"I met this one guy at a bar -- not here -- and we seemed to be hitting it off, so we exchanged numbers. A few days of texting and he's like 'hey, I'm bored. Feel like going for a drive?' And I think, why not? I'm an adult, I just moved to a new city and have an apartment and everything -- I'm going to go out on this sorta-date.

"So we're driving around for a bit just talking about whatever and it's going pretty well until we go to stop somewhere for a cup of coffee. We park and halfway to the door he stops and is like 'actually, maybe not here. Let's go somewhere else.' I thought it was weird but not enough to worry about. I was wrong."

"Uh oh. What happened?" 

"I assumed it was just that he saw someone in the window, like an ex from a bad break up or something."

"It wasn't?"

"Nope!" Bitty laughed and went to take another sip of his drink, only to find that he only had the water from his melting ice left. He frowned at his glass. "Hm..." 

"Can I buy you another drink?" Jack offered. "I don't mind."

"How 'bout if the next round is on me?"

Jack looked down at his almost-empty glass. "Would you be offended if I just asked for a beer? I don't think I can do more whisky."

"Not at all. Why would that offend me?" Bitty asked with a laugh.

"You seem to know a lot about it and really take pride in your work."

Bitty grinned and shook his head as he walked back to the bar. He was still grinning when he returned with two bottles of beer. "For the record -- this sophisticated palette you seem to think I have -- I used to live in what was basically a frat house. It wasn't that long ago that I was shotgunning PBR and chugging tub juice."

"Do I even want to know what 'tub juice' is?" Jack teased.

"Listen. I still don't know what's in it, and I'm certain I never want to learn." He slid back into the crescent-shaped booth, a little further in than he had been sitting before. Maybe it was just the booze playing tricks on his brain, but it seemed to Bitty that Jack had moved in a little closer while he was gone, too. "So! Where was I in my story, again?"

"Oh, uh... the weird coffee shop thing!"

"Oh lord, that's right!" Bitty laughed. "Well, we get back into his car and it's not until we're back to driving around that he casually mentions that it was a cop car parked in one of the spots by the door that made him nervous -- because he didn't have a license! Because he had his license taken away and was definitely not allowed to be driving."

"What?"

"Oh, it gets worse. He was driving some fancy new car because he worked at a car dealership and apparently none of his colleagues ever thought to check if he had his damn driver's license when they let him buy the thing!"

"That's so bad. What did you do?"

"Mostly just thought about the 50 different ways my mama would murder me if she knew the situation I got myself in until he drove me home."

"Wow."

Bitty sighed for dramatic effect. "I'm not even done, because that long drive home took us past his ex's apartment three times because he thought he saw some girl's car parked out front. Lord, I was so thankful that I got him to pick me up and drop me off at the corner store nearby instead of my actual home."

"Yeah, good idea."

"And after all that? He texted me again like a day later and asked if he was what I was 'looking for' romantically. No. Absolutely not."

"Yeah, no. That's no good. He didn't bother you at all after that, did he?"

Bitty shook his head. "No, fortunately. I spotted him on a dating app once but quickly blocked him. Found out from some friends later on that he apparently messages every guy on there."

Jack scoffed. "Ugh."

"Yeah. He casts a pretty wide net, that guy."

"I've always been a one-pole-at-a-time guy, myself."

Bitty unceremoniously spit out his mouthful of beer all over himself. "Good lord..."

"Oh, shoot. I'll grab you a towel." Jack sprinted off to the bathroom and returned with a bunch of paper towels wadded up in his hand. "Here, uh-- Sorry if that was too forward," he said as he handed them over to Bitty.

Bitty dabbed his shirt dry as best he could while wondering what Jack thought was forward about handing him paper towels. It wasn't like he had helped himself behind the bar to fish through their supplies for a clean rag.

Jack stumbled back into the booth and slid up closer to Bitty than ever before, then slid back a few inches to give him some space. "Haha whoops."

"Are you doing okay? Here I go sitting down for a chat to keep you from drinking too much, then getting you drunk anyway."

"No, it's okay. I really don't drink much, so it just hit me a little fast. I'm fine."

"Thank you for the paper towels, by the way. I should have been--"

"You have pretty eyes," Jack blurted out before he could think to censor himself. He couldn't help it.

Bitty burst out laughing. "Thanks?"

"Sorry. That was a weird thing to say."

"Yeah, but I'll allow it. That's high praise coming from you."

"Huh?"

"You have very pretty eyes, Jack."

"Oh? Haha. Thanks, they were a gift from my mother."

Bitty managed to swallow his beer this time before laughing. "You're cute."

Jack watched Bitty -- the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, the bright smile on his face as he humoured Jack's lame joke -- and as Jack's heart started to race, he knew what was going to come next. No fighting it. Time to ask the cute bartender out on a date. "Would you... like to go fishing? With me?"

Bitty looked at him, puzzled as to where this sudden invitation had come from. "Fishing? Sorry, honey, but no. I've loathed fishing ever since the first ungodly hour my daddy dragged me out on one of those boats. It's smelly, and there are bugs everywhere, and the only 'prize' is watching some poor fish suff--"

"No, no. Uh..." Jack felt his cheeks heating up and wondered how red his face might be at that moment. "I meant like the metaphor earlier. Fishing. The two of us."

"Ohhh, fishing together. Are you offering to be my wingman, Jack?" Bitty teased.

This was all going wrong. "No, I'm trying to reel you in," Jack said, then waited in agony as Bitty's facial expressions went from confused, to shocked, then back to confused again. "It's okay if you say no. It's sudden and we just met‐-" Jack checked his watch, "oh boy, barely an hour ago."

"Jack." Bitty blinked, still in shock. "I think you need to drop the fishing metaphor here for a minute, hun. I'm not sure I understand what you're asking me right now."

Shit. Jack's heart was still racing, but no longer in a good way. Anxiety started weighing his shoulders down, and he fought off the impulse to run away and hide like he used to when he was a child. Still, what was he doing? Asking out a total stranger? A man he had just met? Was he ready to risk the fallout of being outed after everything else that had gone wrong that year? Jack didn't know the Falconers that well -- what if things were even more awkward in the locker room after that?

No. Maybe this was all a huge mistake, but in the moment it was a risk he was willing to take. "A date. Would you like to go on a date sometime? With me?" Jack's mouth felt dry so he drank half of his beer.

Bitty was still processing the information. "...You know I'm a guy, right?"

"Yeah? Of course." Now Jack was confused as well.

"And when you say 'date' -- you mean like, romantically?"

Jack chuckled nervously. "I don't know what other kinda date there is..."

"Sorry, I... I didn't expect this at all. You're attracted to me? I'm having a little trouble wrapping my head around it."

Jack took the opportunity to lean in and kiss Bitty. He was cautious, paying close attention for any sign that Bitty did not like the move me was making. To his relief, Bitty leaned in ever so slightly to kiss him back after the first second or two of shock. 

Jack pulled back, their faces still mere inches apart to double check before going in for another kiss. Bitty's cheeks were flushed but he was smiling, so Jack accepted the sign that it was okay. This time when he closed his eyes, it was Bitty who closed the distance between their lips. Jack felt an anxious flutter in his chest at the touch of Bitty's hand on his arm, but it was the good kind of anxious, at least.

The good feeling came to a crashing halt a few seconds later, when Bitty suddenly shot back from the kiss. Jack looked at him, panicked about what he could have possibly done wrong to garner such a reaction, when he noticed Bitty was staring at the corner of the ceiling. Following his gaze in the dimly lit bar, Jack finally noticed what Bitty was so concerned with. A security camera. "Oh."

"Shit. Shit," Bitty repeated. "Holster handles the camera stuff, I don't even know where to start with deleting something."

"Sorry. I guess it's not really professional to make out with a customer, huh?"

Bitty shook his head. "It's not that..."

"Oh, shit. Do your friends not know that you're--"

"No, they know... About **_me_**."

"Oh." Jack's heart began pounding again. "So... You do know who I am, I guess. You knew this whole time?"

Bitty winced. "I-- Well, yeah. Of course I did." Jack frowned at that, so Bitty rushed to explain. "Jack. I played hockey. That's how I met my friends that opened this bar together. There are team photos of us on every wall -- you were looking at one when I first spoke to you! And you're-- you play for the home team and are one of the biggest stars in the NHL in general. I would have recognized Jack Zimmermann anywhere, Falcs hat or not."

"Why didn't you say something?" Jack asked.

Bitty sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "You looked like you didn't want to be recognized." He touched Jack's arm. "Listen. You don't have to worry, okay? Holster is a good guy. He'll delete the video if I tell him to -- no questions asked. Nobody has to know."

For some reason, those words hurt Jack more than anything. He bristled. "So, is that the reason you stayed to drink with me one-on-one? You were saying how you don't usually do this."

"You looked like you needed someone to talk to. You've had a rough year."

Jack scoffed. "So, what? Everything I said you already knew from articles and gossip?"

"Well, not _everything_."

Jack slid out of the booth and tossed a hundred dollar bill on the table. "Thanks for the drinks. Keep the change."

"Jack. Wait--" Bitty got up to follow him but Jack was already storming out the door. "Shit."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took the day off work to have a lazy bday, so here's a chapter to celebrate!!!

Jack had regretted his actions by the time he made it home -- which admittedly took a little longer than it should have. Tipsy on whisky and beer, combined with being unfamiliar with a mostly-new city, resulted in him making a wrong turn that added an extra 15 minutes to his walk. 

Jack stopped on the corner just outside the bar the next morning and paced nervously. He spotted a garbage can and nearly ditched the flowers in his hand. Just as he was losing what little remained of his nerves, he heard the loud click of door to the bar being unlocked. He took one last deep breath and walked up the steps.

"Sorry, we're not actually open until-- holy shit. You're Jack Zimmermann. Wow. Hi. How can I help you? Our cook isn't here yet, but I make a pretty mean grilled cheese if you're hungry."

"Sorry, I can come back later. I didn't realize you weren't open yet. The door was unlocked, but..." Jack looked around the bar, the only differences to be found compared to when he last saw it was the cleared table in the booth where he had sat and the daylight pouring in from the windows. And no Bitty. While this bartender was also very cute -- beautiful eyes and a brilliant smile as well -- he wasn't the one Jack was hoping to find. He checked his watch. "I guess you're not open for another fifteen minutes or so."

"Please, have a seat. No worries. Can I get you something to drink?"

Jack carefully laid the bouquet down on the the bar top and took a seat on the closest stool. "No thank you, I'm fine. Or, actually-- maybe. I don't know what it's called, but it has some kind of whisky in it and maple syrup? Is that too much for--" Jack checked his watch. "Oh boy -- 10:45am?"

"Depends on how many you plan to have."

"Oh, just the one. And a coffee maybe if you have it?"

The bartender laughed. "Oh, we've got coffee. Holtzy has to have two cups before he's even remotely functional in the mornings. I'll grab you that first, then get started on that drink."

"Thanks, buddy." Jack drummed his fingers nervously on the bar and looked down at the bouquet. Why did he think Bitty would be here? He closed the bar last night. Jack should have come back tonight to apologize, not when the bar opened. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. Jack had embarrassed himself enough already; he wasn't sure he could handle it if this apology went badly too. 

He was tempted to leave the flowers behind with a note, but felt guilty about sneaking out the door while this other bartender was off pouring him coffee. And why did he order a cocktail in the morning? It was going to look horrible if he was spotted day drinking alone in a bar. 

"_**WHAT?!**_" A man's voice boomed from somewhere in the back of the bar.

The bartender returned a minute later with a hot cup of coffee and an embarrassed look on his face. A blond man with glasses briefly poked his head out the door, spotted Jack, and immediately retreated.

"Sorry about the wait. The pot was just finishing up brewing. I'll start on that drink now."

"Oh! Actually, can I cancel that? I probably shouldn't be seen doing that so early in the day. Don't wanna be starting any rumours."

"I get that."

"It's really good, though. Maybe next time." 

The bartender passed Jack some milk and sugar in case he wanted it for his coffee. "Sorry, I have to ask -- have you been here before?"

Jack blushed. "Oh. Uh, yeah. Yesterday. Last night, actually."

"_Ohhh_, that makes sense. That drink you ordered isn't actually on the menu yet. We're gonna be adding it there soon, though. I think the recipe is almost perfect now that we've got the good syrup."

"Ah!" Jack snapped his fingers and pointed at the bartender. "You're the Canadian!"

"Most people call me Rans, or Ransom, or Justin... but yeah, I'm the solitary Canadian around here. Well, present company excluded." Ransom laughed. "Born and raised in Toronto. You're from Québec, right? Drummondville?"

"Montréal."

"Ah, right." Ransom stood awkwardly nearby, not wanting to hound Jack with questions, but also not having anything else to do until they actually opened. Bitty had done too thorough a job cleaning up the night before, except for that one booth for some reason. "I'll be right back."

Ransom walked to the back and was immediately pulled into the office by Holster. "Did he leave yet?" Holster asked. 

"No. He's just drinking his coffee. What's with you? Go say hi, if you want. He seems like a nice guy."

"Not yet. I can't explain, just-- Stall him. Bitty's on his way."

Ransom groaned. "Bro. Please tell me you didn't call everyone here to see him."

Holster started shoving Ransom back out of the office. "I swear I didn't. Just Bits. I'll tell you later -- or not. Depends on what happens. Just get back out there and talk to him about moose or wrong-Thanksgiving, or whatever Canadians talk about."

Ransom stumbled back into the bar and straightened his shirt. "So! Excited for Boxing Day?" 

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Nevermind. Uh... Sorry to hear about the trade. I mean, good for us that you're on the Falcs now, but that probably sucked for you."

"Yeah, a little. The Falcs have been great so far though. They seem like a good group of guys."

"No doubt, no doubt..." Ransom glanced around for something else to talk about. "Oh! You said you were here last night, right? Did you forget something? Is that why you came back so soon?"

Jack blushed. "Oh, uh. Just my manners..." Ransom looked confused, so Jack continued to explain. "I was a bit of an ass to one of your bartenders last night. I came by to apologize." He lifted the flowers briefly, then set them back down on the bar top.

"Oh? That's so nice. Who was it? I'll make sure to pass them on."

"It was-- fuck." Jack froze. "I don't remember the name."

Ransom chuckled. "Do you remember the letter their name started with? Can you describe them? I can go check the schedule and will probably be able to figure it out."

"I think it started with a B? Sorry, I should have paid closer attention."

"Hm... cute blonde?"

Jack's eyes lit up. "Yeah!"

"I'm pretty sure I know who you mean." Ransom leaned towards the door to the back and shouted. "Holtzy! Did Becca work last night?"

"Oh. No, it wasn't--"

"She's pretty cute. Is that weird for me to say? It's not, right?" Ransom asked, but Jack had no idea how to respond.

Holster poked his head back out. "What? No. Why?"

"Trying to figure out the cute blonde Zimmermann brought flowers for."

Jack's face went more red as the colour simultaneously drained from Holster's face. "Bro! That's my _sister!_ What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"What? It's a _compliment!_ She got those good Birkholtz genes, bro! And your mom's normal-sized head!"

"...You're sleeping on the couch tonight." Holster ducked back inside.

"Bro!" Ransom chuckled as he turned back to Jack. "He doesn't really mean that. Anyway, if it wasn't Becca then maybe... Bitty!" He exclaimed as the door opened. 

"Good morning, Ransom. What's this big secret emergency Holster is freaking out about?"

"No clue. He's in the back, but-- Quick! Bits -- who was working last night?"

"I was."

"Yeah, but who _else?_"

Bitty shrugged. "Anna was for a bit, but it slowed down after 9 o'clock so I let her go home early to study for some Econ test she has tomorrow. Why?"

Jack slid off the bar stool and grabbed the bouquet as he turned around. "...Hi."

"Jack?"

"I, uh-- forgot your name. Sorry."

Bitty chuckled. "Eric. Or 'Bitty' works too."

"I was a jerk last night. I acted terribly and..." Jack offered the bouquet to Bitty. "I wanted to say sorry. So, uh, I'm sorry. You were really nice and talking to you really made me feel better and then I went and ruined everything."

"I wouldn't go that far." Bitty smiled. He took a few steps forward and accepted the bouquet from Jack. "And this was very sweet of you. Thank you, Jack."

"Oh, thanks. You too."

Bitty laughed. "I'm just going to pop these in some water-- Oh! There's even a little card attached."

"...What?" Jack asked.

"Well aren't you a dear. It reads 'I'm sorry for'..." Bitty clapped a hand over his mouth in a fruitless attempt to stifle a laugh. "It says 'I'm sorry for _your **loss**_'? Jack, honey. I think these are meant for a funeral!" 

"Oh. Um, maybe ignore that second part." He looked self-consciously over his shoulder but there was no sign of Bitty's two friends. A hand grabbed Jack's forearm and he turned his attention back to find Bitty slowly collapsing with laughter. 

Tears were streaming down both his cheeks and he was making a strange wheezing noise instead of laughing. "I can't-- _I can't!_" Bitty leaned his forehead against Jack's arm as a last-ditch attempt to brace himself before officially sliding onto the floor.

"Haha?"

Jack's confused reaction only seemed to fuel Bitty's laughter more, but he regained his composure after about a minute. Jack stooped down to help him up and Bitty began to apologize profusely. "Oh. Oh, Jack I am so sorry. I wasn't-- It was so unexpected, that's all."

"I'm not mad?"

"No, honey. I know. But you looked like maybe you were upset."

"No, I thought it was... cute, actually." Jack smiled, then realized that he hadn't been smiling until that moment. "Shit, uh... I'm the one who should be sorry."

"Well, I owe you an apology as well. It wasn't fair of me to pretend like I didn't recognize you, especially when I _kissed you,_" Bitty whispered even though they were alone in the room. 

"I kinda started that I think, eh?"

"Well, yes, but still. I promise you that I wasn't trying to mislead you. And anything from last night -- your secrets are safe with me, okay? I hope you're having a better day at least today."

"I am." Jack smiled and Bitty let out a short giggle that made him smile even more. "Now."

Bitty blushed and looked down at the flowers. "I should really get these--"

"Yeah, I should get going too. Um, thank your friend for the coffee. Uh..." Jack pulled a five dollar bill from his pocket and handed it to Bitty. "That's for the coffee. Okay, bye."

"But...?" Bitty sighed when Jack hurried from the bar. He looked down at the flowers in one hand and the five dollar bill Jack had given him for $1.50 worth of coffee. He started walking to the back of the bar when Ransom and Holster came out to check on him.

"Whoa. What's wrong?" Holster asked, immediately protective when he saw how sad Bitty looked. 

"Nothing. He brought me flowers to apologize for a misunderstanding we had last night, that's all."

"Zimmermann left already? We heard you laughing, I thought you were getting along."

Bitty sighed heavily and felt the starting twinge of what would become full-fledged tears if he were to talk much longer. "So did I. I thought he liked..." Bitty stopped short of saying "me" since Jack Zimmermann was not out to anyone, and he'd be damned if he were to purposely out him to anyone.

Still, seeing Jack first thing that morning holding flowers and calling him cute -- was Bitty so wrong to think that maybe that date offer was back on the table? Maybe Jack realized now that he was sober that it wasn't worth the trouble it would cause to go on a date together.

"Bits?"

"I thought he wanted to go fishing together sometime," Bitty replied. "But maybe he was too tipsy to remember he asked me."

"Bro. You hate fishing. Like, _really_ hate it."

"I know, but--"

The little bell over the door rang as it was opened, and all three men turned to greet who they thought would be a customer. It was Jack Zimmermann again.

"Hi. Sorry. I forgot to ask if you, uh... it's _Eric_, right?"

Bitty laughed as he started walking over to Jack. "Yes. Eric Bittle. Or Bitty."

"I wanted to ask if I could have your number? In case you were still interested on going--"

"Fishing?" Bitty finished for him. "I'd love to."

Jack looked confused for a moment. "Huh? No, I meant going on a date sometime."

Bitty let out a surprised laugh that Jack would ask such a thing right in front of his friends. "I'd love to." He scribbled out his phone number on a piece of receipt paper and made sure to include his full name.

Jack chuckled when he saw it. "I won't forget this time."

"I hope not." Bitty knew he was probably grinning like an idiot, but he didn't care.

"I'll text you, okay?" Jack hesitantly started stepping backwards to the door, not wanting to look away from Bitty quite yet.

"Okay."

"I will."

Bittle chuckled. "I believe you. Have a good day, Jack."

"You too... whatever your name is." Jack snickered at his own joke and made his escape while Bitty looked around for something soft to throw at him. 

They exchanged small waves through the window and then Jack was gone. Bitty turned around, still laughing, to find his friends grinning at him. "What?"

"Bro. That was fucking painful. Flirting like a couple of 14 year olds," Holster chirped.

Ransom was still in shock. "I was psyched that he even showed up here, but all _that?_ Mind blown."

"You boys won't tell anyone, will you?"

"No way."

"Our lips are sealed."

Bitty smiled. "I tried to give him the fishing metaphor to work with, but he just--" Bitty stopped when his phone buzzed with an incoming text message. He laughed when he read it.

Unknown Number: Is this Eric Bitty Bittle?

Bitty: Is this who I hope it is?

Unknown Number: Who do you hope I am?

Bitty: An adorably charming professional hockey player.

Unknown Number: Sorry, but I'm not Alexei Mashkov.

Bitty: LOL

Unknown Number: This is Jack, by the way.

Bitty: oh honey, yes I know it's you.

Bitty looked up from his phone while Jack was typing out what seemed to be a long message. "Oh! Holster! What was the big emergency that you needed me to hurry down here to help?"

"Zimmermann was looking for you."

Ransom looked at him. "What? How would you know? He didn't even know Bitty's name."

Bitty gasped and covered his mouth. "Holster! You said you wouldn't look at the security tape! You _promised!_"

Holster shrunk back from Bitty's fierce glare. "Bits, dude. I swear I wasn't planning to... but you were acting so weird about it and insisting that I absolutely could not look at it under any circumstances -- I was worried! I thought you had a shake down from the mob or something!"

Bitty sighed, anger mostly gone. "Well, I suppose it is sweet of you to worry..."

"When I saw that it was actually a makeout sesh with a celebrity, I wasn't going to say anything -- even to you -- but, _bro_. Dude just flat-out asked you on a date in front of us."

"I'm still not over it," Ransom added. "I can't believe you've got a date with Jack Zimmermann. I didn't even know he liked guys?"

Holster frowned. "Yeah, all excitement aside? Be careful with that guy, okay Bits? Like, he had a fiancée -- a _female_ fiancée -- until pretty recently."

Bitty scoffed, insulted at the implication. "So? What does that have to do with anything? Hockey in general is not the most _inclusive_ environment, maybe he--"

"Listen. I get that? But like-- ugh." Holster groaned. "There's no way I'm going to say this that won't make you pissed at me, but I'm gonna power through here. Whether he is actually gay, or bi, or something -- maybe this is the first time he's done something like this? But maybe it _isn't_. He kissed you after like, one drink. So maybe establish some ground rules or something, and make sure to use protection. If he's on the DL then who knows how many guys he's been with over the years."

Ransom groaned. "I get the point you're trying to make Holtzy, but holy _hell_..."

"I don't need a lecture about using protection from _you_ of all people, **Adam**."

"I--"

Bitty cut him off. "No. We're not doing this. Thank you for keeping this all a secret, but I do not need to be protected like some little brother. I want to see where this goes, and if it ends up being only one date? So be it. And I don't know him that well yet, but if we end up getting a-- a little _friendlier_ than you might approve of on that date then that's-- that's my business. And Jack's. Not any of yours."

"Bitty--"

"And another thing! I-- I don't even know because I can't think straight right now. But you! You can't-- ugh!"

"You tell him, Bits."

"Don't you 'you tell him' me, I know you're on his side about this."

Ransom scoffed. "I'm on _your_ side!"

"You're always on the same side. You both treat me like some naïve little frog like I haven't learned anything in the past 6 years. I think I like this guy, can you both please just be happy for me?"

"I am happy for you, Bits. But I think Holtzy has a point about being cautious of some gorgeous millionaire who kissed you out of nowhere and asked you on a date after one conversation."

"That's not fair. I..." Bitty's phone buzzed again in his hand. "I'm gonna go. I'll talk to you both later."

"Bro, wait."

"Bitty, come on!"

The cook rushed in and immediately launched into her story as to why she was late, and while Ransom and Holster were distracted with reassuring her, Bitty slipped out the door.

Unknown Number: Do you actually want to go fishing? We can go sometime.

Bitty laughed out loud walking down the street when he saw the message Jack had taken so much time to send. He added him to his contacts before replying.

Bitty: Lord no. Never. Please don't take me fishing. Ever.

Jack: Haha 

Jack: Okay. Maybe dinner?

Bitty: Dinner sounds wonderful.

Jack: Good. 7?

Bitty: Tonight? I'm sorry sugar, I've got to close again tonight.

Jack: Oh.

Bitty: I'm free tomorrow night?

Jack: I have to go to the game at 7. Would you want to come with me? Box seats. We could eat early or go out after?

Bitty: Maybe after. I'm not sure I'll be hungry before the game.

Jack: Good idea. Can we meet there? I have to go a bit early for some stuff with the trainers. 

Bitty: Sounds good.

Bitty looked up from his phone while he waited for the crosswalk signal to change. His phone buzzed again but he didn't check it until he was across the street and nearly at his apartment. He glanced back down while he checked for anything in his mailbox, and smiled.

Jack: Looking forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me after the first chapter: the next chapter will be less angsty!  
Me writing the second chapter: Bitty should get in a fight with his best friends.  
*shrug emoji*  
Why did he not want advice from Holster in particular? Hm...


	3. Chapter 3

Bitty had changed his outfit over a dozen times. He knew Jack would be wearing a suit in the owner's box, but did he need to as well? He certainly didn't want to look under-dressed. At the same time, he didn't want to look over-dressed either. What if the camera panned up and everyone in the country wondered who the random non-NHL player was all dressed up. 

He knew the players had a dress code, but maybe guests just wore regular things? But a Falcs shirt would be far too casual to wear to dinner afterwards at even a moderately-priced restaurant. Jack hadn't told him where they were going, only that it was "nice" and that a jacket wasn't required. It was sweet that he wanted it to be a surprise, but this surprise was stressing Bitty out so much. 

Bitty decided to wear a sweater over his dress shirt and tie, but found himself frantically stopping at the Falcs Gear store 20 minutes before he was to meet Jack to buy a jersey instead. 

He bought a Zimmermann jersey, then immediately regretted his awkward purchase. It was too late. Jack texted him that someone named "George" was on their way to the lobby to let him in, so Bitty had no choice but to stuff the receipt into his pocket, slip the jersey on over his outfit, and hope for the best.

As it turned out, the "George" that Bitty was set to meet was none other than Georgia Martin, Assistant General Manager of the Providence Falconers. "Are you Jack's friend? Eric Bittle?"

"Y-yes ma'am." Bitty nodded obediently and toyed with the hem of his jersey. 

"I'm George. Nice to meet you." She shook his hand. "Jack should be done any minute now -- we're just trying to figure out when he'll be ready to get back on the ice. He's healing up well, and I know we're all eager to get him playing again, but not at the risk of a re-injury, of course," Georgia explained as they walked through the concourse. 

"How much longer do you think he'll be out for?"

"My guess is a couple more weeks. We have that roadie right before Christmas break, so I think his plan is to go on that trip even if he doesn't end up cleared to play, then just stay home there with his family until the holidays are over. He shouldn't be back to playing too long after that."

"Oh, yeah. Of course." Bitty hadn't thought about the impending holiday. It made sense that Jack would go away over Christmas -- he hadn't made Providence his real home, he probably just rented an apartment or something that could change hands quickly the event of another trade. 

"--ck? Eric?"

"Hm? Oh sorry, I got distracted for a minute there. What were you saying?"

George laughed. "I was asking how long you've known Jack?"

"Oh!" Bitty froze mentally. He couldn't very well admit that they had only met a few days ago. True, this would mark the third day in a row that he was seeing Jack, but it simultaneously felt so much longer and shorter than that somehow. "Not too long."

George gave him a funny look for his non-answer, but didn't push the question any further. "Well, here we are. Jack should be up any minute. Everything is complimentary, so help yourself to some snacks, or-- You're over 21, right?"

"I'm 24."

"Okay, good. Help yourself to a drink at the bar too, then. I have to head out, so--" George glanced down the hallway and smiled at whatever she saw. "Well, speak of the devil! I just told him you were on your way."

"Thanks for your help, George."

George fist bumped Jack in the doorway and pulled him in close with an arm around his shoulder. "Damn, I love a punctual man on my team. Heal up quick, okay? I need someone to set a good example, because some of these rookies this year are driving me up the fucking wall..." She whispered, but not quietly enough to escape Bitty's ears.

"Haha." Jack smiled over at Bitty. George gave him a strong pat on the back and then was gone. "Hey..."

"Hey there to you, too." Bitty smiled and took a few steps closer. "You look nice."

"You look nice, too." 

Bitty chuckled. "Come on, now. Be honest. You won't hurt my feelings."

The corner of Jack's mouth twitched a little. "Okay, you _kinda_ look like a rookie that just got drafted with the jersey over the dress shirt and tie... but you still look nice."

Bitty thought back to the countless times he had watched the NHL draft. "Oh lord, you're right. No wonder Georgia Martin asked if I was over 21!"

"She did? Why?"

"Because there is an open bar."

Jack snickered. "Did you tell her that you _own_ a bar?"

Bitty blushed. "No, it didn't really come up. And I didn't know how to explain it without worrying anyone about how we met... or why I'm here with you today."

"Oh."

"I mean, this is a date, right?"

"Yeah. Sorry, I didn't think there would be so many people around. Last time it was just two or three other people, but it looks like the GM is gonna have a few friends with him, and another guy is injured right now so he's here too with his wife. We can count dinner afterwards as the real date, and maybe this part as just for fun?"

Bitty nodded. "Sure."

"It's not that I want to hide--"

"Jack. It's okay, really. I understand. This is only the third time we've spoken face-to-face, let's not get ahead of ourselves here, okay? I'm not trying to out you on our very first date."

"Maybe wait until date number two, eh?"

Bitty blushed. "You're already sure about wanting a second date? We haven't even started the first one."

"Yeah, but you're my top prospect."

Bitty felt a lump in his throat. "And... when you say _top_ prospect -- how many others are...?"

Jack frowned in confusion. "What? No. Just you. I was-- because you're dressed like a kid at the draft-- I don't have any other prospects."

That made Bitty laugh and he gave Jack's arm a gentle squeeze. "Oh, sweetie. I don't think that came out anywhere _near_ how you intended."

Jack Zimmermann was certainly not the millionaire playboy that Ransom and Holster had tried to warn him about. He was a sweet, endearingly awkward man who tried to "reel" Bitty in for a first date with fishing and hockey draft metaphors.

"No?"

"True, I don't want to be the '_top_ prospect' on a list of many, but '_only_ prospect' isn't all that flattering either." Bitty grinned and made his way over to the bar to see what they had in stock. 

"Well, the only one I want to acquire."

"Like property?"

"No, like a draft-- a boyfriend draft."

Bitty's jaw fell open. "That's..."

"Only if you're interested, obviously."

"I'm not **_not_** interested. I'd even go so far as to say that I'm very interested, but honey, we've only barely started to get to know each other. Let's put a pin in that for just a little while, okay? See how we feel after a couple dates so you don't find yourself regretting your draft pick."

"I don't see how I ever could."

"Charmer." Bitty ducked down to examine the various bottles stored under the bar. "You know, I expected more from the owner's box, quite frankly. This is a pretty bare-bones selection they've got here, and their wine options are _atrocious_."

"Oh, hello sir. Don't mind him, he's just criticizing all the free stuff," said Jack, prompting Bitty to bolt upright and start apologizing.

"Oh lord, that was so rude of me. I'm--" Bitty wasn't sure if it was the sight of the empty room or the sound of Jack snickering that hit him first, but he quickly realized he'd been had. "Very tricky, Mr. Zimmermann."

"Sorry, Bittle. I couldn't resist."

"Is that so?" Bitty leaned over on the bar, which Jack took as an invitation and promptly kissed him. Bitty laughed. "Well aren't you just full of surprises?"

"Couldn't resist that either." 

"Well, maybe we should--" Bitty stopped himself when a small group of people entered the room. He cleared his throat and took a step back. "We should discuss the tragedy that is Wayne Gretzy branded whisky."

Jack chuckled. "Not a fan?"

"I think some people need to learn to stick with what they're good at. Leave the wines and especially the whisky to the professionals." 

"I'll make sure to pass on the message next time I see him. Which... might be Christmas." Jack laughed.

The colour drained from Bitty's face. "Oh lord. You know Wayne Gretzky?"

"Most of my life, yeah."

"I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be. I'm sure he can handle a chirp or two."

"Okay, _no._ You're pulling my leg, aren't you?" Bitty grinned.

"Jack!" Someone else called out as they came in the room. "You're a hard guy to pin down. No escape now, we've got all game together."

"Oh. Hi Thirdy," Jack said with a smile. "How's the back?"

"A little tight still, but it's getting there. How's the shoulder?" Thirdy asked in return.

"Same, tight but getting there. Should be back in another week or two."

"We'll be happy to have you back out there. Do you remember my wife, Carrie?" Thirdy wrapped his arm around the waist of the woman beside him.

"Jack, it's so nice to see you again. How have you been settling in here in Providence? You know you can call us if you ever need anything, right? Gabby and Sebastien said the the same thing too."

"Oh, yeah, I know..." Jack chuckled it off uncomfortably. He looked over at Bitty. "Oh! This is my-- uh, fr-- this is--"

Bitty reached over the bar to shake their hands. "I'm Eric Bittle, nice to meet you both. I'm a friend of Jack's."

"Oh, Eric, I'm sorry. We didn't mean to ignore you like that. I thought you were working here," Carrie said as she shook his hand.

Bitty laughed it off. "Well, I am a bartender most nights, but I'm off the clock tonight. I couldn't resist taking a look at what they had back here."

"He's being very judgmental about it," Jack chirped. 

"Oh, hush."

"He actually owns his own bar, so he really knows what he's talking about, though."

"No way! Which bar?"

Bitty blushed. "Oh, it's 'The Haus' downtown? It's a bar primarily, but we serve lunch and dinner, and brunch on the weekends. We specialize in whiskey and comfort food."

"Oh! I've heard of that place! One of my friends went there for her birthday, she loved it!"

"I'm so happy to hear that." 

"He makes really good drinks. Oh, hey, is there--"

Bitty laughed, knowing what Jack was about to ask. "No, sugar. There is no maple syrup in this bar. I can make like, screwdrivers and Cuba Libres, that's about it. Nothing fancy. To be honest, I wouldn't even use these garnishes. The lemon wedges are passable, but the limes are all dried out."

"And everything gets served in a red solo cup," Thirdy added.

"Lord, give me strength."

Jack chuckled. "You know, you don't have to make drinks for everyone -- it's your day off. Just enjoy the game."

"You know what? I can make a pitcher of mimosas. That will be fun," Bitty said, completely ignoring Jack.

"Bittle, you really don't--"

"Zip it, Zimmermann. I never get a chance to drink anymore since having a kid -- I would literally _kill_ for a mimosa right now," Carrie half-heartedly threatened him. 

"Oh honey, don't you worry. I've got you." 

"Yes!"

"Can you--" Bitty began to ask the person to his right until he noticed it was Thirdy. "You have a bad back, go sit down." He shooed a laughing Thirdy away. "Jack, be a dear and look in those cupboards for a pitcher of some kind. I'll even settle for a punch bowl in an emergency."

Jack chuckled as he went to look. "I don't know if I would call this an emergency..."

Bitty's eyes lit up when he noticed a fruit tray amongst the spread of food. He made a beeline for it, stopping briefly to ensure that none of the other group of people sharing the Owner's Box had allergies to strawberries. Once confirmed, Bitty scooped a sizable share of strawberries and chunks of pineapple onto a plate and brought them over to the bar to carefully slice with a plastic knife.

"I might do a bit of a twist on the mimosa. Do you like pineapple? I noticed they had some pineapple juice in this cooler as well."

"I _love_ pineapple," Carrie said with a smile as Jack returned with a punch bowl. "Jack, you should bring your friend Eric to the Christmas party."

Jack blushed. "Oh, well, he's..."

"I would have to see how my schedule lines up, but--" Bitty knew his own face was turning red. "If not, I can show you how to make this punch. It's quick and easy, and always a hit -- even in a frat house."

"Oh, it sounds like there is a story there." Carrie laughed.

Bitty told her about his time at Samwell, and how the group of his friends ended up opening their bar named after the Haus where they all met. "Well, not officially a frat house, just a house where some of the team lived. Basically like our HQ."

"Randy! Eric here played hockey too. In college, at Samwell University."

"No way. Didn't they win the championship a couple years back? I watched some of that."

Bitty blushed. "Yeah won the frozen four my senior year. Came close some other years, too."

"Wait, what did you say your name was, again?" 

"Eric Bittle?"

"Holy hell, I remember you. Crazy fast out there. You were captain, right?"

"I-- Yes." Bitty focused on the final pieces of fruit he was slicing. He suddenly felt much too warm in his multiple layers of shirts, not helped at all by the burning in his cheeks. It also didn't help that Jack kept looking at him like that. Jack's head was quirked slightly to one side with a mixture of confusion and amusement on his face. Bitty cleared his throat. "Well, let's get this potion brewing, shall we?"

Bitty mixed the orange and pineapple juices, and added the sliced fruit to the punch bowl, finishing it off with the champagne. He served it in solo cups with ice to Carrie and Thirdy first, followed by himself and Jack before handing off the ladle to one of the other people who had gathered in anticipation. 

"It's good," Jack reassured Bitty after taking a sip.

"Why, thank you very much, Mr. Zimmermann."

"My pleasure, Mr. Bittle," Jack teased in kind as they took a seats along the railing, but as far in the corner as they could. "That maple one is still probably my favourite, but I like this one too. It's sweet..." Jack glanced around to see if anyone was in earshot. "Like you."

Bitty laughed and nudged Jack's arm. "Like _someone_ here." 

The game began and they both got distracted by the game below. Jack watched it intently, occasionally glancing over to smile at Bitty. Bitty casually mentioned in his group chat that he was at the game, then fended off a flurry of texts when Ransom pointed out that it was a date with someone new. 

Bitty got roped into making another batch of his strawberry-pineapple mimosa punch during the first intermission, which cut down on some of their conversation time. Jack also got caught in a discussion with the GM and some of his friends about the best local golf spots. By the time they got back to their seats, the second period was beginning. "Sorry," Jack apologized sheepishly. 

"Don't you worry, I will talk your ear off at dinner later."

During the second period, Bitty shouted at a referee who definitely could not hear him about a bullshit "goalie interference" call and Jack resisted the urge to propose on the spot. During the second intermission, the real talk began.

"So, listen. I know we agreed to go for dinner after the game, but..." Bitty turned to Jack.

"Yeah?"

"But I didn't think about the fact that it would be about 10 o'clock at night and I am starving right now."

Jack noticed Bitty glance over at the table of free food and breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh? Haha, yeah. I'm pretty hungry too. I think the restaurant I had in mind might close at 11 o'clock on weekdays, so that doesn't give us a lot of time to order and eat."

Bitty laughed. "Okay, so, new plan. Why don't we eat here and then go grab a nightcap?"

"That would be good, I think." 

Jack and Bitty both hesitated to stand, each waiting for the other man to go first. "I insist, Jack."

"But you're my guest, you should go ahead of me."

"You're the big strong athlete who knows most of these people. You go first, and you better get a move on because we're about T-minus five minutes away from what my friends like to call my 'Hangry Bitty' mode."

Jack laughed and finally stood, Bitty following close behind and playfully nudging him in the back to hurry up. "The chicken tenders are pretty good here," Jack said as he loaded up half his plate with them at the first table.

"Noted." Bitty took a few and skipped ahead of him to finish filling his plate with a greater variety. 

"Hey, no cuts, Bittle. You made me go first. Back of the line," Jack chirped.

"I didn't know you would be so dreadfully slow."

"Slow and steady wins the race, right?"

"Not when 'Hangry Bitty' is waiting at the finish line," Bitty teased back with a wink.

Jack finished filling his plate while Bitty returned to their seats. He was grinning when he got back to find Bitty already eating. "You good? Not going to 'hulk out' or anything now?"

"You laugh, but it was a close call." Bitty took a bite of his food and noticed Jack was watching him with that same amused look on his face as before. Bitty felt self-conscious eating with an audience, even if it was just one person. He set down his plate and removed his jersey. "I should take this off before I spill food on it."

"Yeah, especially if you plan to return it later."

"Huh?"

"The tag is still on it." Jack snickered. 

To Bitty's horror, the price tag was indeed still on the jersey in his hands. He ripped it off quickly but carefully and looked up at Jack with a blushing face. "Okay, no-- The thing is-- What happened was--"

"It's okay, Bittle. Really," Jack said as he continued laughing.

"So, I _may_ have panicked a little because I didn't know what to wear tonight and I didn't want to over or under-dress. And I-- I have a lot of Falcs _t-shirts_, but I hadn't bought a jersey yet. I was planning to get a personalized one with my old number, but obviously I didn't have enough time for _that_ today and I didn't want to show up in someone _else's_ jersey. Oh lord, this is all so embarrassing..."

Jack reached over and grabbed Bitty's hand to stop him from spiralling. "I think it's cute."

Bitty looked around to see if anyone else had seen, and pulled his hand away when he noticed Thirdy coming towards them. "Save your chirping for the ice, Mr. Zimmermann." He laughed it off.

"Who says I'm chirping?"

"Hey, kiddos. What d'you think of this game so far. Are we going to win?"

"Definitely," Jack said with a smile as he stuffed an entire chicken tender in his mouth.

"I should hope so," Bitty added.

Thirdy laughed and pulled out his phone. "So, I was doing some googling on the ol' interwebs..."

"What?" Jack asked.

"It's a joke. I'm joking." Thirdy held out his phone in front of Jack and Bitty. "Look at this. Game winner, 2017 championships. Fucking beauty of a goal."

Bitty turned red. "Oh lord, this is so embarrassing. I can't believe you found--"

"Wow!" Jack let out a surprised laugh at Bitty's goal. "That was so good."

"I think it was more luck than anything..." Bitty tried to dismiss it and took a bite of food from his plate. 

"Hah!" Thirdy laughed at him for it.

"That was more than a lucky shot, Bittle. That took skill. Why'd you stop playing?"

"Well, I _graduated_, for one thing. My friends and I -- the ones I opened the bar with -- we still play for fun sometimes." He shrugged.

"I bet you could've gone pro."

"That's very sweet of you to say with only one goal for context," Bitty laughed it off.

"I can pull up more," Thirdy offered. Jack nodded while Bitty instead covered the screen with his hand.

"Ohhh, I think that's okay for now." Bitty smiled.

Carrie dropped into the seat next to her husband, clearly tipsy. "You know what, babe? I forgot how fun these games are to watch when I don't have to worry about you getting injured."

"I'm already injured," Thirdy gently reminded her.

"And it's been very nice having you at home, baby." She kissed his cheek. 

"You know, Jack..." Thirdy began as he looped an arm around Carrie's shoulders. "Marty and I-- Uh, well-- You've been sorta shy with the rest of the team, and we were worried that you might be having a hard time settling in. I'm relieved to see you've made a friend here in the city."

"Oh, uh, yeah." Jack looked over at Bitty who smiled at him.

"Did you know each other already through hockey, or...?" Carrie asked.

Bitty took a big bite of food and covered his mouth as he chewed, purposely giving himself a few extra seconds to figure out an answer. Jack, on the other hand, didn't hesitate. 

"We just met. I was having a kinda bad day the other day, so I went to Bittle's bar and..." Jack smiled at Bitty. "He made it better."

"Oh, well, I don't know about _better_..." Bitty blushed. "We just chatted about different kinds of whiskey and I made him a drink that we're thinking of putting on the menu."

"It was good."

Thirdy thought it was strange that Jack would invite someone it seemed he barely knew along to their game, but Bitty seemed chill enough that he didn't object. "Well, since Poots -- Fitzgerald -- turned 21 last month, a few guys have started going out for a drink or two after wins to keep an eye on him not celebrating too hard. It's usually Marty, me, Tater, and Snowy. Nothing too crazy, I promise. You guys should come, too. What's the name of your bar again, Bittle? Maybe we could go there." 

"I think that might be inappropriate..." Jack said uneasily.

Thirdy was taken aback. "Oh! I didn't mean like, comp'd or anything. We'd obviously pay, and we're good tippers."

Bitty was momentarily mortified. "No, no, of course. I didn't think you meant that you were expecting to drink for free. Let me just call my friends working tonight and let them know. They'd love to have y'all visit for a while."

Jack was embarrassed by the misunderstanding as well. "Oh, no. I meant that we shouldn't join everyone tonight."

"I guess it could be a little inappropriate for Bittle to go drink at his own bar like that in front of employees," Thirdy reasoned.

Jack shook his head. "No, we're on a date."

Bitty squeaked as his breath caught in his throat. Carrie made a similar noise. Thirdy looked around the owner's box for a moment trying to figure out where their young female dates were, being that a handful of gray-haired white men were the only other people in the owner's box the entire evening. 

"Oh? Where's... _Ohhhhh_." It hit him in waves. "Fuck, you're-- Uh, no, that's not because you're--" Thirdy took a deep breath and exhaled. "I wish I had realized sooner. We kept interrupting you guys all night."

"Oh, well the official date was supposed to be dinner after the game, but..." Jack looked down at his plate of mostly chicken tenders.

"We got too hungry," Bitty finished explaining.

Thirdy laughed. "Of course you did! That's way too late to wait for dinner. You guys are lucky management is entertaining tonight."

"Why?"

"Usually it's just like, popcorn and stuff," Jack explained.

"Oh lord that _is_ lucky. I don't even want to know how much popcorn it would have taken to satisfy my appetite tonight."

They all laughed and Thirdy exchanged looks with Carrie. "Sorry. We should get out of your hair. And Jack -- don't worry, okay? Our lips are sealed."

"Huh?"

"We won't tell anyone if you're not ready, but you should know... this team is okay, y'know? George has been really on top of that kinda stuff. If you're afraid of the other guys finding out about anything -- you don't have to be, okay? And you can come to me or Marty for anything, okay?"

"Okay." Jack smiled, slightly confused. "Why?"

"Jack, honey, I think he means because you told them that we are on a date," Bitty whispered.

"Oh. Because I'm bi? Yeah, that's okay. I'm not worried." Jack chuckled. Bitty's jaw dropped for the second time that night, Thirdy and Carrie did much the same. 

Carrie spoke first. "Oh! Okay. I knew you were engaged to a woman before, so--" she stopped mid-sentence, looking horrified that she had brought it up at all. It seemed as though the network of WAGs may have also given her details of the messy way it ended. "Shit. Forget I said that. Please."

Jack, to everyone's surprise, chuckled at it. "Yeah, I've dated women too... 'cuz I'm bi." He winced a little after that. "Yeah, she... she _knew_ but didn't take me seriously about it. Probably should've been a red flag, but you know how it goes."

Bitty wanted to pat Jack's arm or leg or do something to comfort or reassure him in that moment, but still found himself hesitant to do so in public. He let out a disapproving hum in response instead. "Hmm..."

Jack noticed the mood shift and continued in an attempt to lighten things up again. "Oh, uh, so that's why I'm gonna try not to worry about it anymore. People will think whatever they want, but I don't want that to get in my way."

Thirdy laughed. "So is that why you saw this cute guy and just asked him on a date, no chill?"

"Yeah, exactly."

Bitty blushed when Thirdy called him a cute guy, then blushed more when Jack smiled at him again. "Oh, lord..." A text came back from Ransom which was a blissful distraction from the flattery. He cleared his throat and looked back up at the other couple. "If y'all still want to stop by for a few drinks after this, my friends will be happy to have you at The Haus. Rans-- um, _Justin_, said that someone can just text him when everyone is nearby and they'll make sure the door is still unlocked."

"Perfect!" Thirdy entered the number in his phone. "We won't be too rowdy, I promise."

"I promise nothing," Carrie said with a laugh.

The third period began and while the Schooners managed to score one more goal to cut the Falconers' lead from 2 points to 1, the Falcs managed to hang on to their victory. 

Bitty and Jack parted ways with the other couple and found themselves walking down to Jack's car without discussing where they were actually going.

"Oh. Did you bring your own car?" Jack asked as they reached the parking lot.

"I got a ride."

"Are you okay with going in my car?"

Bitty nodded his head, and Jack unlocked a sensible-looking SUV nearby. Bitty laughed. "Sorry, that's rude of me. I was expecting some flashy sports car."

"Nah. Those don't have enough room for my hockey gear," Jack explained matter-of-factly. "A lotta cargo space in this one."

"Practical."

"Haha yeah."

Bitty sat down in the passenger seat and turned to Jack. "So, I was wondering..."

"Can I kiss you?" Jack asked unexpectedly. "Just a quick one."

Bitty laughed and nodded his head. "It can be a longer-than-quick one, if you'd like," he teased.

"Yeah, I'd like that." Jack tried to lean in, but he had already buckled his seatbelt and the strap locked when he tried to move. "_Oof!_"

Bitty leaned over the entire way instead, only to end up laughing halfway through the kiss and having to rest his head on Jack's shoulder. Jack unbuckled his seatbelt and was able to lean in properly for their second attempt. "Mm, much better."

"Yeah," Jack whispered against Bitty's lips. "And now some of those first date jitters are out of the way."

"Did you have jitters? You seemed pretty confident to me." Bitty gave him one more small kiss before settling back in his seat. "I, on the other hand, have been a nervous wreck all night."

"Really? But you were talking so much to everybody."

"I get very chatty when I'm nervous," Bitty admitted with a laugh. "And when I saw all those other people up there I got a little worried that being seen with me would accidentally out you to everyone, but then..."

"Yeah, sorry. I guess we probably should have talked about that, eh?"

"Maybe, but it's okay now."

Jack rebuckled his seatbelt, but didn't start the car. He gripped the steering wheel with both hands and stared vaguely at the space between his thumbs. "I've been pretty nervous tonight, too. You're really something else."

Bitty laughed again. "I'm not sure if that's a compliment."

"It is."

"Well then, thank you Mr. Zimmermann."

Jack looked back at his hands. "I want to apologize again if I've been coming on a little too strong. It's been... a while since I've done any dating, and..." he sighed as he thought of the right words. "And dating another guy isn't new exactly, but letting myself be completely open about it is. Kinda trying to rewrite the way my brain has been for the past decade and a half, y'know?"

"Oh, honey. _Believe me,_ I know."

Jack smiled at him. "I like that. How you call people 'honey' and 'sugar' and stuff. It's cute."

"I do it more now with working in the bar. It helps people feel welcome, I think." Bitty smiled self-consciously.

"It does. Well, it did for me, at least." Jack paused for a moment while looking at Bitty like he wanted to kiss him again. He started his car instead. "So, um, where to?"

"We could go to my place?" Bitty suggested.

"Yeah? I mean, all the guys are there but--"

"No, uh, I didn't mean my bar. I was talking about my apartment."

"_Oh._ Uh..."

Bitty hurried to explain. "I-- I have all the ingredients for that drink you like, is all. I just-- no pressure. I don't move that fast. Well, _once_, but not typically."

"I wouldn't mind another whisky lesson..." Jack grinned.

"Perfect, darlin'. I've got you covered."


	4. Chapter 4

Jack parked in front of Bitty's apartment and they walked up the front steps. "This is actually pretty close to my place."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm in those condos like a block that way," Jack pointed west. "I can't believe we live on the same street."

Bitty stopped briefly to check his mail before leading Jack up to his apartment on the 8th floor. "Just wait until you see my view."

Jack chuckled when Bitty showed him over to his living room window and the clear view of Jack's building. "Hey, there ya go. You should see my view."

"What? No. You mean--"

"See that one third from the top with the blue curtains? Or, I guess you can't really tell right now." Jack squinted. "If you look tomorrow morning when the sun's out you'll see that they're blue. That's me. I drink my morning coffee out there sometimes, I'll wave to you."

"It's November."

"Yeah?"

"Don't you get cold?"

"The coffee is hot." Jack shrugged his shoulders. "And I like the fresh air."

"I enjoy fresh air as much as the next guy but don't expect to see me out on that balcony below about 60 degrees." Bitty laughed and noticed Jack's brow furrow. "I think that's around 15 Celsius for you, Canadian."

Jack laughed. "Oh! Haha. Really? That's so nice still. How do you survive in the winter?"

"I hibernate. And buy the closest apartment to work that I can afford. And dress in layers, which--" Bitty paused to pull the jersey over his head and loosened tie he was wearing underneath as well. "I should shed some of these layers before I overheat. I'll be right back. Please make yourself comfortable."

While Bitty disappeared behind what Jack assumed was his bedroom door, Jack removed his jacket and tie, and undid the first couple buttons of his dress shirt. Bitty returned wearing a very comfortable looking grey t-shirt and a pair of jeans. "No fair."

"Sorry, sugar. I'd lend you some of my clothes but something tells me none of them would fit you." Bitty slipped the same navy cardigan he had been wearing earlier back on over his new outfit. "You're right, though. I feel very comfy right now," he teased.

"Haha." Jack undid one more button on his shirt. "I'll manage."

Bitty caught a glimpse of just enough chest hair to make him briefly fantasize a more confident version of himself ripping open the rest of those buttons and pouncing on him for a vigorous makeout session, or more -- but Bitty was not that confident. More importantly, given how Jack had reacted to Bitty's initial invitation to his apartment, he figured Jack might want to take things slower.

"Well, Jack. I believe I promised you a drink." Bitty slapped the back of the couch before making a hasty retreat to his kitchen. He heard the TV turn on behind him, and the channel changed to sports coverage. Bitty took two glasses out of the cupboard and was surprised to find Jack standing in the doorway when he turned back around. "Oh!"

"Sorry, did I scare you?"

"I thought you were watching TV." Bitty laughed.

"I just wanted to check out the highlights from tonight's game. It felt funny sitting there while you were in here making me a drink, though."

"Well, far be it for me to turn down such handsome company," Bitty said with a wink.

Jack grinned at him as he leaned against the counter. "Oh really?"

"Don't start acting all coy like you don't know you're handsome as hell. When you asked me about fishing the other day, I didn't realize you wanted to go fishing for compliments, Mr. Zimmermann."

Jack laughed. "What? Maybe I'm just flattered that such a good-looking guy thinks I'm handsome."

"Well, I do have eyes, you know."

Jack got a text message and checked his phone. "Oh! Haha. Thirdy wants to know if it's okay to tell Marty that I have a boyfriend."

"Oh?"

"He says Marty will definitely be cool with it." Jack shrugged his shoulders and texted back. Another message came in while he was typing. "Oh! Also one of your coworkers fainted when he saw Alexei Mashkov, but Thirdy says he's okay now so don't worry."

Bitty laughed. "That would be Ransom. He has a bit of a crush, I think."

"Tater's a really friendly guy. He pretty much hugged me the first day I met him. It was so weird."

"How so?"

Jack chuckled. "I played against him a bunch of times before getting traded. Out on the ice... he's pretty scary. Not at all like real life. He's like a giant puppy -- but I still wouldn't want to make him angry."

"That's adorable," Bitty said as he finished making their drinks. 

He wondered if he should clarify the "boyfriend" comment with Jack, because when they had discussed it earlier, Bitty had thought they were on the same page about waiting to use that label. They walked back to the living room and sat down on the couch, and finally Bitty decided to address it.

"Hey, Jack?"

"Yeah?"

Bitty chewed nervously on his bottom lip. "Earlier when Thirdy called me your boyfriend... I just-- I really do like you, but--" he frowned as the words came out worse than he wanted them to. Bitty took a deep breath and powered through it, "I just thought we agreed to take a few dates to get to know each other before..."

"I know. But it's easier for straight people to grasp that I'm bisexual if they hear the word 'boyfriend' since they know I was engaged to a girl before."

Bitty burst out laughing. "Oh lord!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I can tell him the truth, if you want." Jack pulled his phone back out of his pocket, but Bitty stopped him.

"Let's just wait until date number three to see if that needs correcting, okay?"

Jack smiled. "Okay." He leaned over and gave Bitty a gentle kiss. "Did--" 

Bitty had turned down the volume when they sat down, but hearing the name "Jack Zimmermann" on the TV got both men's attention. He turned the volume up a couple notches so they could watch, but quickly regretted it.

"--I mean, the guy got injured almost immediately. What did he play, five games? Maybe six? And he's been out since. I think the Falcs got the raw end of that trade," said the analyst. "I think it's a miracle that any team got a few good years outta that guy, but he showed his true colours with that mess last season. Frankly, if the Falconers don't test this guy for every drug in the book, then they're a bunch of--"

"Whoa! Okay, that's enough of that nonsense!" Bitty turned off the TV and looked back at Jack, who was staring down at his glass instead. "So, you had a tough year. That analyst doesn't know what he's talking about."

"I really don't do that kind of stuff anymore, I promise." Jack gently swirled the drink around in his glass. "Before the draft when I was 19... I was under a lot of pressure and was too scared to ask for help, you know? I tried whatever it took to feel numb and shut up that little voice in my head telling me I was gonna fuck it all up. Probably should've listened to that warning in hindsight, but... going to rehab, starting therapy -- I don't regret that part of it. I learned a lot of healthier ways to cope with stress."

"I believe you."

"But--" Jack sighed. "Look. We met in a bar when I was drinking alone. I just want to make sure you know that I'm not that kind of guy. Really."

"I know, Jack." Bitty sipped his drink. "I work in a bar, I know the signs when someone has a problem."

Jack sighed heavily. "It's more than that. Listen, that stuff they just said on TV? That's not new to me. I've been in the public eye my whole life. If it's not some old man complaining about how I'm overrated, it's some blog wondering why Bad Bob and Alicia Zimmermann ended up with such a fat, ugly, kid."

Bitty gasped. "What? No! Who would say something so horr--"

"Lots of people, Bittle. And when my parents tried to shield me from that garbage, the tabloids just wrote about how they were hiding their little monster from public eye because I wasn't as photogenic as they were."

"That's awful. You poor thing, having to go through that at such a young age." Bitty reached out to stroke Jack's hair, and cupped his face in his hand. "People can be so cruel."

"I-- eugh. I'm not saying all this to get sympathy. It's more of a warning. Getting mixed up with me might get you some unwanted attention. If there are family members you're not out to or anything, that could all be exposed. And you've got a lot on the line with your business and everything."

Bitty frowned. "What are you saying?"

"I didn't want to have this conversation so soon, but that thing on the TV drove it home. If you want to bail on this -- on me \-- I totally understand. No hard feelings. You're-- I think you're really cool, and a nice guy... I don't want you to get--"

"Jack. Date number three, remember?" Bitty leaned in and gave him a reassuring kiss. 

Jack sighed with relief and smiled. "Okay. Sorry. I shouldn't get so ahead of myself. We'll take things slow and if you're not up to it, then no problem. I really mean that, but... if not, I hope we can still be friends after everything."

Bitty hung his head. "Dammit, I knew you were going to be wonderful."

"Haha. What?"

Bitty sighed. "Remember my friends, Ransom and Holster? After you left the other day, they gave me a bit of a hard time about you. Like, 'be careful with that guy' and 'you don't know his real intentions are' and stuff like that. We had a bit of a fight about it."

"Oh."

"They're like brothers to me, truly... but sometimes they treat me like I'm still some naïve 18 year old and it drives me crazy. Not just because they say it, but because it gets stuck in my head and just rattles around in there all night. I was so worried that I was going to be some notch in your belt."

Jack choked on his drink and his eyes began to water as the alcohol burned. He shook his head and continued to cough as Bitty hurried off to pour him a glass of water. "Thanks," he croaked out before chugging water.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, um--" Jack coughed again. "I don't think scotch likes me very much."

"The drink? No, I use bourbon for this one."

"Maybe it's just drinking in general that doesn't agree with me."

"Well, to be fair to the various kinds of whiskey out there..." Bitty grinned. "You're supposed to sip it, not breathe it."

"Fair enough." Jack coughed and wiped his eyes. "And, uh, since you mentioned it... my belt has a normal amount of notches in it."

Bitty laughed when he realized Jack's face was red from blushing, not strictly his coughing fit. "Jack, honey. No judgement here, okay? But what exactly is normal for a gorgeous professional hockey player?"

"Oh, uh... like, six?"

"--teen?" Bitty guessed for him. "Or 60, like six-zero?"

"No. Just six."

It took Bitty a moment to process. "Six men?"

"Six people." Jack sipped his drink before explaining. "I know there's some guys out there who try to hook up in every city on a road trip when they're single -- or not single, even -- but I-- I've never been that interested in that kinda stuff."

Bitty covered his face. "I'm a jerk. I said 'no judgement' then practically laughed in your face. I was preparing myself for a much larger number, I shouldn't have assumed..."

"It's okay. I'm sure a lot of people figure I went on some big rebound after my engagement ended of just sleeping with every pretty girl I met -- but I haven't, uh, there hasn't been anybody."

"Well, if we're comparing numbers," Bitty said before taking a deep breath. "I'm at four. Or-- oh lord, five. There was the first boy I ever dated back in my first year of university, which, didn't end well. Then my Winter Screw -- oh, that's just the name of a dance we had at Samwell -- we went on a few dates in my second year, but not much came of it. Then I didn't date at all for about a year, then tried again in my senior year, but I was so busy with being captain and trying to write my damn thesis -- Oh, if my friend Chowder heard me say that he would tell you I was busy trying not to write my thesis -- where was I, again? Oh, yeah, so I dated a guy for a month or so before he got fed up with how busy I was with the team. Then I got a boyfriend after moving here and I was with him for about a year, but... ugh. It's complicated and my friends all hated him, and now that I'm looking back I kind of hate myself from back then, too."

"Why?"

"Well, man number five, for one thing." Bitty sighed.

"Did you have an affair?" Jack asked warily.

"No, heavens no. I would never \-- but it was pretty embarrassing. My ex was one of those guys who like, rejects the idea of same-sex marriage because we shouldn't 'conform to the straights' and said monogamy was only invented so men could be sure their wives had their babies..." Bitty groaned. "So, obviously that didn't need to apply to same-sex relationships."

"Oh. So it was an open relationship?"

"Semi-open. He was dating another guy as well for most of that time. They broke up for a month or two in the middle and then got back together. And I had no interest in dating anyone else, but I convinced myself I was okay with sharing. And so for a couple of weeks we tried, um, all sharing each other... and that's where number five comes into play."

"Ohhhh." 

"Don't get me wrong, those relationships can work when everyone is on the same page, but we certainly were not. It just made a big mess of things and it became clear that he was going to have to choose between the two of us, and..." Bitty groaned. It was so embarrassing now looking back on that chapter of his life. "So, I figured I would completely rock his world in bed one night and 'win' him over for good. I woke up the next morning and it finally hit me that I didn't want any of that. I've always wanted to get married, even when I was little and assumed it would be to the girl next door. The husband, the kids, the white picket fence... I wanted more than what he would ever be willing to offer, so just like that I told him we were through."

"That's..."

Bitty laughed it off. "So, if you're ever feeling self-conscious about almost marrying someone who was totally biphobic, just remember that you're not the only one who has done something dumb for the sake of someone who supposedly loved you."

"That... yeah, that does make me feel a little better, actually. Thanks. And, uh, sorry."

"It's fine now, really."

"My ex used to do this thing where she'd talk about other guys she thought were hot -- movie stars and stuff -- to see if I'd get jealous. I still don't get it." Jack shrugged. "And she knew I was bi this whole time, by the way. I told her about K-- my first boyfriend, sorta. It was complicated. Anyway, she said something about some singer from a boyband or whatever being hot once and I agreed with her. She said 'ew gross' then told her friends."

"That's awful."

"I feel so stupid looking back on it, y'know? All the little signs that getting married was a bad idea. But sometimes it's hard to see in the moment. Your ex sounds like a jerk, but I get how you can stay with someone for so long even if they make you unhappy."

"I know like, rule number one for first dates is 'don't talk about your ex' but this has been kind of cathartic. I can't talk about him with my friends because they all launch into tirades about how much they always hated him and how awful he treated me, and how they can't believe we were together as long as we were. I end up getting defensive because I feel so..."

"Judged?" Jack offered with a sympathetic smile.

"Precisely." Bitty smiled back. "You're really easy to talk to, Jack."

"I think so too. Uh-- about you. I feel that way about you, not myself. Sorry, am I rambling?" They finished their drinks at the same time, but Jack got distracted by the sight of Bitty licking the traces of syrup on his lips. "Uh..."

"Jack."

"Yeah?"

"Stop apologizing and kiss me, already."

"Yeah?"

"Mmhm." Bitty took the empty glass from Jack's hand and placed it next to his on the coffee table. He slid a hand around to the back of Jack's neck and guided him closer until their lips met. 

Jack was almost a frustratingly gentle kisser. Not that it wasn't nice, but after about three minutes of Jack not daring to touch more than Bitty's shoulder, Bitty was getting antsy. He wasn't used to taking the lead in situations like this -- not on a first date, at least ‐- but realized that Jack was far from the casanova his friends had warned him about, and that Bitty was going to need to be the one to instigate the next step.

"Jack?" Bitty pulled back for a moment.

"Sorry, did you want to stop?"

Bitty chuckled in surprise. "No. Do you want to stop?"

"Not yet." Jack's mouth quirked into a relaxed grin. In Bitty's opinion, it was unfairly sexy.

"Can I touch you?" Bitty reached out carefully and placed a hand on Jack's waist, then slid it along his abs over his shirt. Jack nodded. "And like this?" He ran his hand up to Jack's chest, spreading his fingers to rake a few of them through the bit of chest hair Jack had exposed. Bitty paused when his hand reached Jack's shoulder. "Too much?"

"No. It's okay." Jack had stiffened up a little at first, but relaxed again with a sigh and a shy smile. "I like that."

"Good." Bitty kissed him again and let his hands drift back down to Jack's abs. Maybe that wasn't apprehension Bitty had sensed earlier after all -- Jack had to be flexing. Human beings did not have this many abdominal muscles. Jack laughed as Bitty's roaming hands tickled him unintentionally, and Bitty weakened when he felt the muscles flex beneath his fingertips. "Good lord, they are real."

"What?" Jack chuckled.

"You-- You are... in very good shape, Mr. Zimmermann."

"Sorta comes with the job. All the guys on the team are."

Bitty rested his forehead on Jack's shoulder and let out a soft laugh. "Oh my god, that's right. I forgot you were a professional athlete for a minute there." To his surprise, Jack kissed him as soon as he lifted his head.

Whatever it was Bitty had said or done, it did the trick. Jack kisser him more passionately than he had all night. But while Bitty's hands resumed their roaming, Jack's remained steady on the back of Bitty's neck and his shoulder.

"Touch me." Bitty's words sounded more like a command than he had anticipated and he felt his cheeks heating up.

"Yeah?" Jack's eyes widened.

"I mean, if-- if you want to. Obviously--"

"I want to," Jack answered back quickly, making Bitty blush all the way to his ears.

"How about..." Bitty trailed off as he repositioned them both on the couch. He gently pushed Jack back against the cushions and sat down straddling his lap. "Is this okay?"

Jack nodded and immediately placed both hands on Bitty's hips. "I like this a lot. Let me know if you get uncomfortable."

"Actually," Bitty paused for a moment to remove his cardigan. "Okay, now I'm comfortable." 

Jack shifted slightly beneath him to get comfortable and absent-mindedly loosened his belt, only realizing what he had done when Bitty's eyes went wide. "Oh! Oh, no-- this isn't-- fuck. This belt was kinda digging so I was just loosening-- I'll put it back."

Bitty touched Jack's wrist to stop him. "Leave it." 

"Really?"

"I don't want you to be uncomfortable..." Bitty kissed him, this time adding a gentle nip to Jack's bottom lip.

"Well, this shirt is a little constricting..."

"Then let's get rid of a few more of these pesky buttons, shall we?" 

Jack untucked his shirt and started from the bottom, while Bitty unbuttoned from the top down, their hands meeting in the middle. Jack let out a nervous chuckle, feeling more exposed than he had in a while. "My..."

"What is it, sugar?" Bitty ran a hand through his hair.

"My mom went to Samwell. I forgot to tell you earlier."

"Oh?" Bitty blinked. "That's nice..."

"Sorry, I'm pretty nervous."

Bitty stilled his hands and sat back. "Do you want to stop?"

"I don't want to stop, but-- ugh. Maybe we can press pause for a few minutes? If that's okay?"

"Oh, honey." Bitty placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Of course. Let's take a little break."

"Thanks," Jack said as Bitty stood up and straightened out his clothes. "Sorry. I--"

"Jack. You do not have to apologize for saying you want to slow things down." Bitty was about to sit down beside him when he heard Jack's stomach growl loudly. "Are you still hungry?"

"A little," Jack admitted shyly.

"I have a blueberry pie and some cinnamon rolls that I baked this morning, if you'd like."

"Yes please."

"The pie or the rolls?"

"...Yes." Jack grinned. "They both sound delicious, so whichever is easiest for you."

Bitty scoffed out a laugh. "It's a matter of putting food on a plate, darlin' -- neither option is particularly hard to do," he teased. "How about a little of each?"

"Haha. Yeah, sounds good."

Bitty went to the kitchen and returned a couple of minutes later with two plates. He handed one with a cinnamon roll and slice of pie to Jack and kept the second slice of pie for himself. "I know it's getting a little late and I'm not sure how long you were thinking of staying out, but if you're up to it, maybe we can watch a movie?"

"Really? You don't want me to go?"

"I-- Well, no. Of course not. I'm having a good time, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but-- I mean, the whole 'pausing' thing -- you're not offended?"

"Offended? Lord, no. Did it seem like I was?"

"No, but..." Jack sighed. "I know it's probably frustrating, and I'm not trying to be a tease, I swear."

"Hey, now. You can get those thoughts right out of your head, thank you very much." Bitty sat sideways on the couch to face Jack. "To be honest, climbing onto your lap like that -- I'm not usually so bold. It's kind of embarrassing now that I think about it."

"No, I liked that. It was..." Jack hesitated to say the word sexy. It felt out of place with the tone of their current conversation. "Confident."

"Ah, yes. Ask anyone I know and that will be the one word they use to describe me," Bitty said sarcastically.

Jack chuckled. "What one word would your friends use to describe you, then?"

Bitty laughed in shock at the question. "I don't even know. Is 'Bitty' an acceptable answer?"

"I can think of a few."

"Oh can you now, Mr. Zimmermann?"

"I think you're really cool." Jack said, which earned a laugh from Bitty. "And--"

Bitty's phone began ringing and he reluctantly checked it. "Ugh, it's the bar. This might actually be a real call. Why don't you pick a movie on netflix and I'll be right back," He excused himself and went to the other room. "Hello?"

"Where the hell are you?" Holster asked in the other end of the line.

"Good evening to you, too."

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay. What's going on?"

"A bunch of the Falcs are here and it's 'swawesome, but you and Zimmermann are not with them and Robinson says he met you earlier but he and St. Martin are being cagey as fuck about where you guys are. What do they know about Zimmermann that they're trying to hide?"

"They probably don't know I'm out to you guys, and don't know how to cover for our date," Bitty replied.

"How would they know you guys are on a date?"

"Jack told them. Listen, Holster. I think we have some things to talk about, but now is not the right time."

Holster sighed. "Okay yeah, agreed. You swear you're okay right now?"

"I'm having a wonderful time." Bitty peered into the living room where Jack was scanning through the selection of sports movies. "We're about to watch a movie."

"Bro. Are you at your apartment right now?"

"If I said we were, would you promise not to come barging in to defend my honor?"

"I promise not to cock block you while you netflix and chill with Jack Zimmermann."

"Well, we are going to watch netflix, but I don't know so much about the 'chill'-- oh!" Bitty hurried back out to the living room. "Jack! Are you still hungry? I have some leftover chili."

"No thank you. I think this cinnamon roll is gonna do the trick."

"I'm still here, you know," Holster reminded Bitty on the other end of the line. 

"I know." Bitty pads back into his bedroom. "Say, Holster? If you could use one word to describe me, what would that be? Jack wants to know."

"Safe, hopefully."

"Adam."

Holster sighed. "Strong."

Bitty laughed. "Be serious!"

"I am. You've been dealt some shit in your life, but you just keep on going and being fucking nice and trusting of people instead of becoming a cynical dick like me."

Bitty was genuinely touched. "Well, I don't know so much about that, because I'm about to cry now."

"Crying doesn't disprove my point, Bits." Holster sighed again, feeling defeated. "I should get back out there and help, and you should get back to your date."

"Thank you, Holster. I..."

"Let's talk tomorrow, okay? I don't like how we left things yesterday. It feels weird between us still."

"Yeah, I agree. We'll talk tomorrow and get things all straightened out. And for the record, I don't think you're a cynical dick, Holster."

"Really?" Holster sounded unconvinced.

"Well, maybe a little, but I still love you anyway," Bitty chirped.

Holster laughed quietly. "Yeah, yeah. Love you too, Bitty. Have a good night."

"You too." Bitty hung up his phone and returned to the living room, but to his surprise, Jack was not there. He looked down the hall to the bathroom door, which was open, before going to the kitchen. "Jack?"

"Sorry, my hands got sticky so I went to wash them, then I saw the flowers. I didn't notice them earlier." Jack was standing off to the side by Bitty's small dining table, looking at the flowers he'd bought him. "I'm glad you like them."

"They're lovely." Bitty smiled fondly at him. "Did you pick a movie?"

"I didn't know what you'd want to watch."

"Anything but a horror movie," Bitty told him, knowing full well that Jack had only been looking at sports movies anyway. "The rest is up to you. Do you want another drink?"

"Sure." Jack smiled. He returned to the living room as Bitty quickly mixed their cocktails. He was on the couch with his shirt partially buttoned up when Bitty came in. "I don't know what you think about this movie. It's dumb, but it's kinda cute."

"Sounds wonderful." Bitty handed Jack his drink and clinked their glasses together. Jack pressed play while Bitty turned off the light, then settled in against Jack's side with their slices of pie as the movie began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEADS UP! This chapter cuts off at a sort of funny place because it gets a bit explicit after this. I didn't want to change the rating of the whole fic midway through people reading, so I'm going to post the rest of the scene separately as it's own short chapter at some point in the next couple days. I'll put warnings on it for anyone who wants to skip over it.


	5. Chapter 5 (NSFW)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ATTENTION: the next chapter contains explicit subject matter. Please skip down to the notes at the end if you wish not to read it and I'll summarize the very few plot points that were missed.  
For those who do read it, I apologize in advance for Jack making the worst "like riding a bicycle" joke ever. I'm incapable of writing sex scenes where the characters aren't laughing lol

It wasn't long after the pie was finished, and the remnants of their drinks were mostly melted ice that the mood in the room began to change. Bitty snuggled in a little closer with his arm around Jack's bicep, causing Jack to rest his hand on Bitty's thigh. Jack appeared to be watching the movie, but his thumb started moving, brushing back and forth over Bitty's jeans.

Bitty was a little more hesitant to make the first move now, but was this Jack's way of making the first move? He decided to test it by shifting his position so that Jack's hand fell to his inner thigh. Bitty silently cursed his decision to wear denim, which was dulling some of the sensation that he was desperately craving. He wished it could be the summer, when there wouldn't be so many layers of clothing to get through just to feel Jack's hands on his skin.

Bitty reached down and guided Jack's hand higher up his thigh, and that seemed to be the sign Jack had be waiting for. He squeezed Bitty's leg, then rubbed his hand over the fly of his jeans, causing Bitty to yelp with surprise.

"Sorry, was that too--"

"No." Bitty pulled Jack in for a passionate kiss.

"Can you get back on top of me?" Jack asked as he breathed kisses down Bitty's neck.

"Yeah." Bitty straddled Jack's lap again and this time when he reached out to feel his chest, Jack undid the buttons of his shirt again. it was around this point last time that things had stopped, but this time Jack showed no signs of wanting to slow down. Still, Bitty wanted to check. "Hey, um, Jack? Are you-- mmm-- you still feeling good, honey?"

Jack froze. "Do you want to slow--"

"No. No, no, no. I just wanted to check that you're still okay, since before..."

"I'm okay. It helps that the lights are off."

"The lights?"

"Yeah, it was pretty bright in here earlier, and I uh, was feeling a little self-conscious," Jack admitted.

Bitty was about to laugh at the idea that Jack would be self-conscious about anything when he remembered his story from earlier about tabloids comparing Jack to his attractive parents as a child. "Oh, honey. I promise you have nothing to be shy about. You even have those muscles on your ribcage that I don't know the name of."

"Serratus anterior?"

"Sure, let's go with that." Bitty laughed. "I played hockey for seven years and never saw a single 'servurus' muscle."

Jack chuckled and kissed Bitty's lips. "For the record, I-- Wait. Seven years?"

"Yeah. I started in tenth grade, then four years of university. I mean, I guess it's technically longer if you count the games my friends and I play for fun still in the winter, but as far as playing for real on a team-- why are you looking at me like that?"

"You didn't start playing hockey until you were in high school?"

"It's not super popular down in Georgia. Then again, neither is figure skating but I did that for the better part of a decade, too." Bitty shrugged.

"Fuck, you're so incredible." Jack kissed him again and slipped his hands under Bitty's shirt. He tugged up the bottom hem and kissed his way from Bitty's abdomen up to his chest following the path of the shirt until Bitty pulled it over his head and discarded it on the floor. "You're so sexy..."

"Speak for yourself, Mr. Zimmermann." Bitty ran his fingers through the hair on Jack's chest.

Jack's hands, meanwhile, found their way down to the fly of Bitty's jeans, where they stopped at the button. "Can I?"

Bitty nodded and kissed Jack's neck up to his jaw. "Yes. Please." Jack undid his fly and pushed Bitty's pants as far down his hips as he could, but couldn't get very far given that they were denim and Bitty was currently straddling him. He could get his hands just far enough that he could reach around and squeeze Bitty's ass. "Oh! Hang on one second."

"Sorr--"

"Shh. Just-- Let me-- oof!" Bitty stumbled off of Jack's lap and shimmied out of his restrictive jeans. "That's better, I think."

"Much better." Jack leaned forward and kissed a trail down Bitty's stomach to the waistband of his underwear. Bitty climbed back onto his lap, forcing Jack to kiss his way back up his body.

Neither man was sure where the stopping point would end up being that night, but it was clear that a mid-movie makeout session was not it. "Should we-- _mmm_\-- take this to the bedroom?"

"Okay."

Bitty stood again and pulled Jack to his feet. "Come with me, gorgeous." The movie and previous shyness all but forgotten, the two men stumbled their way to the bedroom. Bitty backed up until they reached the bed, then slowly sat down while kissing down Jack's body. He unzipped Jack's pants and pulled them down, wasting no more time getting his hands on Jack's impressive ass. Bitty ghosted light kisses from his hip bone down to the bulge of Jack's boxer briefs, but when he went to remove that final layer, Jack shrunk away.

"I didn't bring any condoms," Jack explained quickly when Bitty looked worried. "I, uh, really wasn't planning on things going this far tonight..."

"Oh, honey. We can stop if you'd like--"

"No, I-- do you have any? 'Cuz I can still..." Jack got down on his knees between Bitty's legs and nipped teasingly at the soft skin of his inner thigh, causing him to moan. "Fuck, Bittle. I really want to suck your dick."

For a moment, Bitty remembered that the man before him was NHL superstar Jack Zimmermann, and he thought about how even in his wildest fantasies this situation would never happen. How on earth did they get to this point? Three days ago, if someone had told him that Jack Zimmermann would be begging to give him a blowjob, Bitty would have laughed in their face, yet here they both were.

He reached into his nightstand and pulled out a condom, which Jack eagerly took from his hand. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Jack tugged his underwear and Bitty briefly lifted his hips off the bed to help with the process. "Haha. Thanks."

"My pleasure. Quite literally."

Jack snickered against Bitty's skin and it tickled. It was enough to break the growing tension in the room. Jack carefully put the condom on Bitty then paused, "I know this isn't a very sexy thing to say right off the hop here, but I might be kinda bad at this. It's been like, four years since I've done this and-- Oh boy. It's like nine or ten years since I did it on a regular basis. I don't know if blowjobs are like riding a bike."

Bitty laughed at the comparison. "As long as you know the mechanics of those two activities are _very_ different."

"Of course. Now, where are the pedals on this thing?"

Bitty guffawed and fell backwards onto the bed, laughing. "Good lord, I don't even know how to-- ohhh, fuck." Bitty lost his train of thought when he felt Jack's mouth around him. Of course Jack would be good at this -- he was good at everything.

It took everything he had not to squirm or accidentally buck his hips like he had his very first time. Bitty realized all at once that he had been too used to his ex-boyfriend's sloppy technique.

He also realized that it was a bad idea to lift his head to watch Jack at work, once they made eye contact it was almost too much to handle. Jack's pale blue eyes were filled with such an intensity and lust -- Bitty had forgotten that sex could feel this good; that it wasn't a chore. He was not going to last much longer at this rate.

Bitty moaned and tapped Jack on the head a few times to get him to stop, which he did. "Everything okay?" Jack asked.

"Hah!" Bitty laughed ask he sat up. Unable to voice the words he wanted to say at first, he nodded his head. "Yeah, sweetheart. I can't be having all the fun, though. Come here..." he guided Jack to his feet.

"But I didn't bring--"

"I know, but I want to make you feel good too, okay?"

"Okay," Jack replied quietly with a nod. He slowly removed his dress shirt and dropped it onto the bed beside Bitty. Next he pulled down his boxer briefs to reveal an incredibly hard erection, and before Jack had even finished stepping out of them, Bitty was pulling his body down on top of him. Jack attempted to brace himself from landing on Bitty with the full weight of his body and winced.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just my shoulder. It's--"

Bitty's eyes widened. "Oh my god, you have an injured shoulder! I'm an idiot. Can you lie on your back? How does that feel?" He gently rolled them both over so that he was now partially on top of Jack.

"Better," Jack smiled.

"Oh my god, can you imagine the headlines? 'Jack Zimmermann out indefinitely with shoulder injury because Eric Bittle was horny and impatient.' No good. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Don't worry. It's mostly healed up, just a bit stiff."

"You better let me know if it's bothering you, okay?" Jack didn't speak, but he nodded his head, so Bitty accepted that. "Good." 

Bitty positioned himself between Jack's legs, then began slowly kissing his way up his body. His knee, his thigh, that v-cut muscle above his hip that Bitty also didn't understand how to build. His ribs, his chest, his neck, and an extra kiss for Jack's injured shoulder.

"I think that made it better," Jack said playfully.

"Who knew that was all it took?" Bitty kissed his lips and grinned.

"I shoulda checked out that bar of yours weeks ago." Jack's teasing ended abruptly when Bitty started to grind his hips against his. Jack pulled Bitty's body down on top of him, and squeezed his hips with his thighs. "_Fuck_."

Jack bucked his hips a few times, his erection pressing against Bitty's stomach. Bitty was aching to be fucked, but he knew that wasn't in the cards for tonight. Instead he took his time finding a good rhythm to move their hips together. It felt like the end was fast approaching, but then Jack stopped moving.

"Jack?"

"Can we stop at this?"

Bitty's eyes widened and he squirmed off of Jack as fast as he could. "I'm so sorry, honey! Of course! Is something wrong?"

Jack immediately pulled Bitty back to him, embarrassed. "I said that wrong. I don't want to stop right _now_, I just don't want to go further than this."

Bitty let out a relieved laugh. "Oh thank goodness. I thought I had overstepped or something. Of course, sugar." 

"For the record, I got tested after being cheated on -- _eugh_, I shouldn't be bringing that up _**now**_ \-- but that's not the reason, just so you know."

"Hey. No need to rush through everything in one night." Bitty gave Jack a gentle peck on the mouth then straddled his hips. "Is this all right?"

"Yeah." Jack ran his hands up Bitty's thighs and around to cup his ass. After so long of just being with women, Jack had relished the feeling of a man between his legs, but he certainly couldn't complain about the view he had now. Bitty sitting straddled across his body slowly grinding his cock against Jack. "_Criss_, Bittle. You're so sexy I can't stand it."

Bitty blushed at little at that, which felt silly given everything they had already done. "Right back at you, sweetheart." A chill ran up his back and he shivered. "It's a little chillier up here than the other position," He said with a light chuckle.

Jack felt around on the bed until he found his shirt and handed it to him. "Would this help? You can wear it."

Bitty laughed and accepted it. "Are you sure?" He asked as he slipped on the shirt and rolled the sleeves up his forearm without waiting for an answer. "How do I look?"

"So good."

Bitty laughed and blushed again. "Charmer."

Jack bucked his hips a few times under the weight of Bitty's body earning a pleased moan from the man on top of him at the friction. He slid one hand from Bitty's ass around to stroke both of their dicks at the same time. "How's this?"

Bitty collapsed forward, resting his forehead against Jack's chest for a moment to compose himself. "Fuck, you're good at this. I don't think I'm going to last much longer, sugar."

"Yeah?"

"Mmhm." Bitty nodded his head, then lifted it finally to kiss Jack again. 

"Me neither," Jack said when Bitty kissed the nape of his neck. He started thrusting his hips at a quicker pace which Bitty matched. His lips on Bitty's lips, their bodies moving frantically together. Jack broke away from their kiss. "Can I take you to the museum?"

"_What? **Now?**_" Bitty asked, his mind in a fog of other, decidedly _non-museum_ thoughts.

"Tomorrow. There's a tour--" Jack was cut off with another kiss.

"Sure. Sounds wonderful." Bitty laughed against Jack's lips. "Now focus up, gorgeous. I want to see that pretty dick of yours cum." He reached between them and took over as Jack fucked into his hand.

Of all the words Jack could have imagined hearing him say at that moment, that sentence was not among them. Eric Bittle was full of surprises. Jack ran his hand up Bitty's back bunching up the shirt as he went.

Bitty moaned as he came, still wearing the condom. Jack followed soon after with a shudder that rolled down his entire body. He pulled Bitty in and kissed him desperately until the feelings subsided.

Bitty climbed off and carefully discarded his condom before taking a seat sideways on the bed, facing Jack. Sweat-slicked skin and a streak of cum across his abdomen just reaching his patch of chest hair, Jack had folded one arm behind his head as a pillow and was now looking at Bitty with an exhausted yet pleased grin.

"Good lord, if I hadn't already finished I think this sight might have done it. You're lookin' _obscenely_ sexy right now."

"Oh? Haha. Um, thanks." Jack blushed.

"You stay right there; I'll go fetch you a towel to clean up." Bitty left the room and returned a minute later with a damp cloth, which he then used to give Jack's torso a cursory wipe down. "Well, that's something at least. You're more than welcome to use my shower, if--"

Jack pulled Bitty back onto the bed and kissed him gently. "In a minute."

Bitty smiled when Jack wrapped both arms around him. "How do you feel, sweetheart?"

"Good. Really good. You?"

"Fantastic."

They kissed lazily for a few more minutes, with no intention of escalating to anything more. "What time do you work tomorrow?"

"Not until 6:00pm."

"Okay good, because the tour starts at 10:00am. I think it's about two hours, or at least that's the timeframe listed on the website."

"Tour?" Bitty asked.

"Yeah, at the museum. They do a tour of the archives a couple times a year, and I thought it'd be neat to go check it out. It will be even more fun now with you."

Bitty kissed Jack to avoid outright laughing in his face. Had he really just heard the words "archives" and "neat" in the same sentence? Jack Zimmermann was full of surprises. 

"Did you change your mind?"

"What? Of course not." Bitty gave him another little peck to reassure him. "A bunch of dusty old books? Sounds wonderful."

"You're sure?"

Bitty chuckled. "Full disclosure -- is it something I would ever choose to do by myself? No. But if I'm with you? I'm sure I'll have a good time."

"Really?"

"_Absolutely_."

Jack smiled. "Good. It's a date."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! So that's done! Phew! I'm not really comfortable writing sex scenes in general, so the entire time I was like "why am I doing this? Who's driving this bus?" Sometimes scenes take on a life of their own, and I just have to buckle up and ride it out haha.  
Quick summary of non-sexy things:  
\- Jack mentions that he got checked for STDs after his ex-fiancée cheated on him  
\- Jack asks Bitty to go on another date with him. They're going to a museum at 10am for a tour of the archives because Jack thinks that sounds "neat"  
That's it. That's basically all you missed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that the museum is a real place that really does archive tours for their "lifelong learners" program. Go here for some photos, including one in the archives that seems to just be rows and rows of taxidermied birds. "Fun! Hahaha  
https://rwpconservancy.org/explore/museum-of-natural-history/

Bitty awoke the next morning and discovered he was alone in his bed. It felt like a small punch in the gut. After some awkwardness broaching the subject after Jack got out of the shower, they had agreed that he would stay the night. Jack must have changed his mind and slipped out sometime after Bitty drifted off to sleep.

He knew better than to read too much into it. Maybe Jack was trying to be considerate by not waking him? And it's not like this was some one night stand ‐- they had plans to see each other again in just a few hours. Still, Bitty would have liked to wake up beside Jack that morning.

Bitty pulled on an extra sweatshirt overtop of his long-sleeved shirt, pajama pants, and fuzzy socks he had already worn to bed. Maybe Jack had gone home because he was too cold? Had Bitty hogged all the covers? Jack had slept in on his socks and underwear and an oversized tshirt that Bitty found in his pajama drawer. Well, oversized for Bitty, maybe more of a regular fit for Jack.

He finally dragged himself out of bed in order to make sure Jack had locked the apartment behind him. Bitty stepped out of his room and was hit with an unexpected smell. His eyes barely open, he shuffled down the hallway to the kitchen. "Coffee?"

Sure enough, there was a freshly brewed pot waiting for him. He looked around but still, Jack was nowhere to be found. Did he brew coffee on his way out the door? Bitty poured himself a cup and sipped it as he continued to investigate, slowly caffeinating. 

He was hit with a chill as he stepped into the living room and it was then he noticed that the balcony door was open just a sliver. Sure enough, there was Jack -- leaning on the railing and sipping his morning coffee in the suit he'd been wearing the night before. Bitty put on his boots and winter coat before venturing out to check on him. "Jack?"

"Did I wake you? I was trying to be quiet. Oh good, you got yourself a coffee. See over there? Blue curtains." He pointed out his condo again where the sun was shining bright on the windows.

"I thought you had left."

"I can get out of your hair if you want. I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye, so‐-"

"You're more than welcome to stay. Please."

Jack smiled. "You going somewhere? You're in a big coat."

Bitty laughed and playfully gave Jack a little shove. "It's a normal coat for the weather. It's _winter_, Mr. Zimmermann."

"You weren't wearing all that yesterday," Jack pointed out.

"I was wearing three layers of shirts yesterday."

"Haha. Okay, true." He looked down at Bitty's feet and started snickering. "You're in the big boots too, eh?"

"Nobody likes cold toes, Jack."

"But you played hockey!" 

"Doesn't mean I enjoyed having cold toes. Hockey skates weren't as bad as my figure skates, but still."

"You mentioned that last night and I wanted to ask-- Are you shivering?"

"How are you not?!"

Jack chuckled and wrapped his arms around Bitty, careful not to spill either of their coffees. "Let's go back inside then, eh?"

"Please!" Bitty hastily retreated inside and Jack laughed as he followed him. "Now what were you wanting to ask me?"

"You figure skated before hockey?"

"Yeah, for about... 8 or 9 years?"

"Were you good?"

Bitty laughed and took off his coat, only to immediately wrap himself up in a fleece throw and curl up nearly crawl into Jack's lap to warm up. 

Jack wrapped his arms around him and hugged him close. "You didn't answer, does that mean 'no' to my question?" He chirped.

"Let's just say you're not the only one in this room with a wikipedia page, Mr. Zimmermann."

"What? Really?"

"Possibly, but don't go searching for it because there's definitely no chance of an undisclosed number of photos of little teenaged me in sparkly outfits and slicked back hair."

"Sounds adorable." Jack grinned and kissed Bitty on the cheek.

"You can't look yet! Embarrassing childhood photos must not be revealed until at least the fifth date," Bitty insisted.

Jack kissed him again. "I'm not sure I trust these dating rules of yours, Bittle..."

"I'm not making them up, I swear!" Bitty said completely unconvincing.

"Still not sure I believe you, but..." Jack ran his hand through Bitty's soft blond hair. "I'm willing to wait for date number five."

Bitty grinned. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, because getting past date number three means we're in the boyfriend zone at that point, right?"

A little gasp escaped Bitty's lips. "You..." He laughed and shook his head in disbelief. "I don't even know what to do with someone as sweet as you. You even made me coffee this morning."

"I was going to make you breakfast in bed, but I didn't want to just use up your food like that without checking. I didn't know if you had the exact amount of eggs you needed for some baking recipe or something."

"Maybe next time." Bitty nuzzled Jack's neck. "I'm really glad you stayed the night."

"Me too."

"Last night was a lot of fun."

Jack chuckled. "It was."

"I forgot sex could be like that. Fun. You know? I..." Bitty sighed. "I'm probably just embarrassing myself and sounding clingy. The point is I had a really good time and think you're wonderful and attentive and sexy and sweet."

Jack blushed lightly and looked down at Bitty's blanket-clad legs in his lap. "Well, if we're saying embarrassing things, then... I just want to say thank you for, uh-- **ugh**. I have pretty bad anxiety sometimes and usually I can work through it fine on my own but it's been a while since I've uh, _been with_ anyone and-- Well, I was pretty nervous if you couldn't tell, but you made me feel really..."

"Comfortable?"

"Safe. And comfortable too, yeah. You kept checking in with me about stuff and you were worried about my shoulder, even."

"To be honest, I did forget about your shoulder for a _little_ there," Bitty pointed out.

Jack chuckled. "Okay maybe, but as soon as I reminded you about it you were really careful. And that minute there when you thought I wanted to stop? You really skedaddled."

Bitty couldn't resist laughing at that word. "_Skedaddled?_ I don't think anyone has said that word in decades."

Jack gave him a little squeeze and smiled while Bitty continued to snicker quietly against his neck. "Whatever word you want to use for it ‐- it showed me that if I actually _did_ want to stop, you would."

"Oh, sweetheart. Of course I would."

"Thanks, Bittle." 

Bitty yawned softly and nuzzled into the crook of Jack's neck again. "I know you said that museum thing starts at 10:00am, but how early do we have to be there? Maybe ten or fifteen minutes before?"

"I think ten would be good enough. I don't think it's a door-crasher kinda event," Jack teased.

"And it's what, a little after 8 o'clock now? Did you want to go home in between?"

"Yeah I should probably change out of these clothes at least. Do you want me to get out of your hair for a bit?"

"No, not at all. Of course, you can go home if you want to -- I'm not trying to obligate you to stay, I assure you. I was just thinking how nice it would be to go back to bed for a little cat nap."

"You seem pretty sleepy still," Jack agreed with the man cuddled up beside him, wrapped up burrito-style in a blanket. 

"It sure would be nice to wake up with some strong handsome man's strong handsome arms around me..."

Jack laughed and started the process of getting them both onto their feet. "You think I have handsome arms?"

Bitty kicked the fleece blanket away from his feet. "I think you have _very_ handsome arms, sweetheart." He went up on his tiptoes to kiss Jack on the lips.

"Haha."

Jack had not expected to fall back asleep, but Bitty's room was dark and his back was warm against Jack's chest, and it seemed like some kind of destiny that they fit so well together when they spooned. How was it possible that Jack could fall so hard for someone after only a few days of knowing them.

The alarm on Bitty's phone blared obnoxiously loud. "_Nooo,_" Bitty whined as he fumbled for it with one hand outside of the covers. 

"We don't have to go to the museum if you're still tired."

"No, honey. We'll go. I'm just being a grump." He reluctantly wriggled out of Jack's arms and got out of bed. "This is my fault for not showering last night. You keep cozy and I'll be back in about 15 minutes."

Jack checked his phone and saw it was 8:55am. They would need about 15 minutes to drive to the museum, and Jack would need 5-10 minutes to stop at home to change clothes and brush his teeth. Even if everything took longer than anticipated, they should still have enough to make it on time.

"Wake up, buttercup," Bitty said after kissing Jack on the forehead.

Jack opened his eyes, very confused. "Did I fall back asleep?"

"Yep. It's already 20 after, we should head out soon if we don't want to be late."

"I can't believe I fell back asleep," Jack said bewildered as he sat up.

"I can. I have a _very_ comfy bed."

Jack stood up and stretched. "I usually don't fall back asleep at all, but--" he yawned. "Oh! You look cute."

"Why thank you, Mr. Zimmermann." Bitty laughed to cover up his embarrassment at the unexpected compliment. He took Jack by the hand and pulled him back out to the main living space of his small apartment so they could grab their jackets. "Let's go."

"You really want to go?" Jack asked skeptically as they rode the elevator down.

"Yeah! I'm excited!"

"Really?"

"I'm-- _Hm._ How do I put this?" Bitty paused. "I'm excited to see why you're so excited."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. It seems like you really want to check it out and I'm happy to go to something that makes you happy."

"You're..." Jack sighed quietly. "You're different from a lot of the people I've dated, I think."

"Because of what I just said? Oh honey, that breaks my heart a little." Bitty squeezed Jack's hand. Bitty kissed him gently, but the elevator doors opened and the two men stepped apart. 

They stopped quickly at Jack's condo. "Sorry about this, I just need a few minutes. Make yourself comfortable. Don't worry about taking your boots off, I bet those take a while to lace up again."

"Because they're so big?" Bitty asked dryly.

Jack snickered. "Yeah."

"Har har, Mr. Zimmermann. Less chirping, more getting ready." Bitty chirped as Jack disappeared into his bedroom, still snickering.

Bitty remained bundled up by the door, venturing only as far as the kitchen in his boots. He avoided the temptation to start snooping through drawers and cupboards to see how well stocked the kitchen was, but there was a lot of counter space at least.

There was a lot of everything space in Jack's condo, from what he could see. Large sparsely decorated spaces, at least as far as the kitchen, dining, and living rooms were concerned. The only decoration Bitty could see was a collection of hockey pucks in a shadowbox frame on the small table by the door where Jack had put down his keys.

"Oh yeah, haha. That's from my first hattie in the NHL," Jack said as he rounded the corner from the hallway. "I haven't really decorated much. My mom keeps saying she's going to help me pick some nice stuff out the next time she visits. Like, carpets and throw pillows and stuff."

Bitty took a moment to process the image of Alicia Zimmermann taking her son shopping for area rugs and other home decor. He was so deep in thought that he nearly missed what Jack said next.

"--and Costco will deliver if I order online, so I don't know why she'd make a special trip down from Montréal just for that." Jack shrugged.

"Costco?!"

"Yeah," Jack said with a shrug. "I know there isn't one in Providence, but the one in Avon isn't too far. I get protein powder from there sometimes."

"Good lord, I don't even want to imagine how much protein powder would justify driving to another state. Those containers must weigh more than me!" Bitty laughed.

"Yeah, just about." Jack grinned back at him.

******

They followed the guided tour of the archives with a self-guided tour of the museum itself, ending with lunch at a nearby cafe.

"So, what did you think?" Jack asked, sipping his coffee with a mischievous smirk on his face.

"I'll tell you what I'm trying to _not_ think about -- all the little creepy-crawly mites and things that we probably caught." Bitty shuddered dramatically then laughed.

"It wasn't that bad." Jack snickered when Bitty stared him down. "Okay, it was pretty bad. It was _a lot_ of taxidermied animals."

"It was _**a lot**_ of taxidermied animals!" Bitty put his head down on the table and laughed into the crook of his arm.

Jack continued snickering. "Well, today I learned that a natural history museum is more about _nature_ and not so much about the Civil War."

Bitty shook his head in his arms, still not lifting it for the sake of muffling his laughter. "I can't--"

"The _civet_ war, maybe."

"Stop!"

"Or _serval_ war."

Bitty sat up and wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. "Oh my god, stop talking I can't breathe!"

"Probably all those mites you inhaled down there," Jack chirped.

"I'm literally going to die." Bitty managed to get his laughing under control.

'Remember how we were the only people there under the age of 65? That one lady was like 89 years old," Jack pointed out for the sole purpose of getting Bitty giggling again.

"She kept calling you a 'handsome young man' and tried to set you up with her great-granddaughter, how could I forget?"

"Sorry about that. I did tell her I was already seeing someone, but I didn't want to single you out right there."

"What? When was this?"

Jack chuckled at the memory. "I think when that owl's wing sticking out on that shelf brushed your cheek and--"

Bitty shuddered again. "Ohhh god don't remind me!"

"Haha." Jack smiled. "That little old lady was pretty impressive though, eh? I doubt my knees will be able to handle all those stairs when I'm her age. She slowed down a bit but still powered on through."

"You might even say she _skedaddled_ down those stairs..." Bitty grinned.

"Hey, now!"

Bitty patted his arm. "You're an old soul."

Jack caught Bitty's hand in his and smiled. "I think you should pick what we do for our third date. My ideas have been a bit of a bust."

"I wouldn't say that. I've had a lot of fun -- we've _both_ had a lot of fun, I hope."

"I've had a lot of fun too. More than I've had in a while. You--"

A shriek nearby startled them and two boys came rushing over. "Are you Jack Zimmermann?!" Bitty pulled his hand away and Jack let go very reluctantly.

"Shut up, Cody! Of course that's him!"

Jack laughed as they crowded their corner table. "Hey guys, nice to meet you. You big hockey fans?"

"Since my whole life!" 

"Me too!"

"Yeah? Me three," Jack said, which made the boys laugh. "It's almost 1 o'clock, is it recess? You better hurry back to school soon so you're not late for class."

The two boys looked like deer caught in headlights. "Y-yeah! We know. We were, um..."

"You were probably just warming up for a minute on your way back, right?" Jack offered.

"Yeah! Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"And then we saw you so we came to say hi but we're not skipping our stupid pep rally."

"Oh lord, I _hated_ pep rallies when I was in school," Bitty said with a sympathetic groan. 

"Right?" Cody emphatically agreed.

"Bittle."

Bitty laughed. "--But it still beat math class."

The boys sighed. "I guess so."

Jack smiled at them. "Would you boys like a picture before you go?"

"Yeah!!!" They both took out their phones.

"I can take the pictures, if you'd like." Bitty took their phones as the excited boys got into position.

The miniature photo shoot complete, Bitty handed back the phones.

"Thank you!!!"

"Oh my god thank you so much. Are you his boyfriend?" Cody asked, catching both men off guard.

"I-- fff-- we-- We're, um-- _Wow_. Uh, why-- why would you think that?"

"You were holding hands when we came in."

"Oh. Uh..." Bitty looked desperately at Jack for how they should answer.

"Not yet, but I think I'm wearing him down," Jack said with a chuckle. "Soon."

"You should just be his boyfriend already. Jack Zimmermann is sooo nice."

"He is very nice." Bitty smiled at Jack. "Thank you for your input, boys. I'll take that under advisement."

"We won't tell anyone."

"Oh! Yeah, we won't tell anyone."

"My uncle is gay and he said you should never out someone no matter what. Even if you're mad at them. And I'm still your _hugest_ fan ever so I definitely won't."

"Me neither!"

"Thanks."

The boys turned to leave but one hesitated. "Can I... hug you?" He asked quietly. "It's okay if you say no. Nevermind, it's stupid."

"Sure, I'll give you a hug, bud." Jack stood again and opened his arms. "Hugs are great."

The boy wrapped his arms around Jack's waist and squeezed as hard as he could, causing Jack to groan, then chuckle. The second boy followed the same pattern. "You're-- _oof!_ Haha. You guys are really strong. I bet you'd make great hockey players."

Their faces lit up. "We _are_ hockey players! We play for the Elmwood Blue Bugs!"

"No way!" Jack laughed. "Maybe I'll see you guys in the NHL someday."

"Yeah!"

They prepared to leave again but this time Cody stopped in front of Bitty and gave him a hug as well. "You seem nice too."

They laughed and waved goodbye to the boys. Once they were alone again, Bitty clutched his chest. "Good lord, those boys were too adorable! I honestly thought I might cry when they asked you for a hug. You were really sweet with them."

Jack chuckled. "Kids that age -- boys, especially -- think they have to grow up so fast and be tough, but inside they're still just kids who want to give hugs and stuff. I never want to discourage that."

"Ugh, I remember that age. That's when I started hanging out more with the girls because the boys decided to tease me for not playing football."

"That's awful."

"On a lighter note: I still can't believe those kids asked if I was your boyfriend -- or that you actually told them!" 

Jack smiled and reached out across the table for Bitty's hand. "They seemed to handle that news pretty well, eh?"

"Much better than I expected. I even got a hug out of it!" Bitty laughed. "So, how much did you pay them to come in here and tell me to be your boyfriend?"

"What? I didn't, I swear. I would never--"

"Jack, honey. I was joking. I don't really think you would do that."

Jack let out a small sigh of relief, but a mischievous twinkle was in his eye. "Are you saying that would work? Because there's a whole gymnasium full of kids somewhere nearby that I will _gladly_ pay--"

Bitty burst out laughing and stood from the table, still holding Jack's hand. "Let's not go as far as to bribe a bunch of children. Maybe we can just get to figuring out what to do for date number three."

"I like the sound of that," Jack was going to say more, but Bitty's phone rang.

Bitty looked at the call display. "Oh shoot. It's Holster. We're supposed to talk some things through..." He flashed Jack an apologetic smile as he answered. "Holster?"

"Hey, is now good? I'm about five minutes from your place."

"Oh, um... I'm not home right now. I'm just finishing up lunch with Jack."

"You're with him again already?"

"Well, more like _still_." Bitty smiled at Jack. "We went to a museum this morning."

Holster laughed. "You went to a museum? Bits, what the hell that's practically learning!"

"I know, right? I learned a lot. Mainly that I never want to be in a room with 50 dead animals ever again."

"I... are you _sure_ that was a museum?"

Bitty turned to Jack. "He just asked if we're sure that was a museum."

Jack snickered. "I'm not 100% sure anymore, either."

"Jack says he's not sure either."

"Great." Holster sighed. "Should we just do this another day then if you're so busy with Zimmermann? Monday morning after Evan goes to school, maybe?"

"No, I..." Bitty gave Jack another apologetic look. 

"I'll drop you off wherever you need me to go," Jack offered.

"Thanks, Jack." Bitty smiled at him before focussing back on the call. "Holster, so you have my spare key on you? Just let yourself up, I'll be home in about 15 minutes."

"Yeah?"

"I'll see you soon." Bitty put his phone back in his pocket after the call was over and turned to Jack. "Sorry to cut things short like this. I forgot we were supposed to talk things out today."

"It's not a problem, Bittle. I'm happy we got even more time than I expected. Besides, it's the least I could do after causing that fight to begin with."

"What? Sweetheart, no. Maybe I should have phrased that differently last night," Butty paused as they got into Jack's car. "That was more about our own friend dynamic than about you specifically. And any misconceptions either one of them may have about you will quickly be resolved once they get to know you a little better."

"You want me to get to know your friends?"

"Of course! Do you... _not_ want to?"

"No, I do. I really do..." Jack fell awkwardly silent. "Ugh. I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Jack sighed. "I... I keep assuming that you want to keep me some kind of dirty little secret, and that's not fair to you."

"What? Why?"

"You were pretty shocked last night when I came out to Thirdy, and you pulled your hand away earlier when those kids recognized me..."

"Oh. Well, that... I admit that I'm kind of lost about what you want from me on that front. You're technically famous-- or rather, you're _actually_ famous."

"I like 'technically,' better." Jack snickered a little.

"But you told me how hard it was for you growing up in the public eye and being scrutinized all the time... I don't want to out you to the wrong person and have it blow up into a whole gossip frenzy. I don't want you to ruin your life over a three-day relationship."

"Oh."

"Three days _and counting_, at least." Bitty smiled. "I didn't mean to make you worry by how I reacted, I'm just trying to let you take the lead in who knows what. Where do you stand on being out -- is there any person or situation off-limits? If we're going to be holding hands in restaurants and public places, maybe we should get on the same page about this now."

"Okay." Jack nodded slowly. "I... just want to treat this like any other relationship. Normal, you know? If someone -- _anyone_ \-- asks, I want to be able to say 'yeah, I really like this guy,' you know? Maybe I seem like some confident guy, but I'm not really. It's taken me a long time to like myself and be happy about who I am, and being bi is a big part of that -- not everything, but still a big part. I... wasted too much of my time and energy worrying what everyone else thought of me. I want to be with you. You make me happy and I don't want to pretend like you don't. I'm proud of who I am, so if someone asks, I want to tell them."

Bitty leaned over in his seat and Jack met him halfway for a kiss. "You're certain you're okay with people knowing?"

"Yeah. Are you?"

"I am." Bitty smiled. "So, just to be clear -- if my friend Shitty asks me at work tonight about who I went out with yesterday, I can tell him it was you?"

"Of course."

"Even if the only group he's in on facebook is a fan page dedicated to your ass?"

"Really? Haha. That's funny." Jack grinned. "Are _you_ in that group by any chance?"

"Oh please, I'm not that crude." Bitty laughed. "Although I am _very_ much a fan."

"Haha."

"I had a really wonderful time today, so you know. I tease a lot about the, uh, _archived exhibits,_ but I had a lot of fun with you. I've been here two years already and I didn't even realize there was a museum, nevermind that they did tours like that."

Jack smiled but kept his eyes on the road as he drove. "I'm glad you had a good time. I did too."

"So, date number three -- we've got less tha ten minutes to figure it out until we get to my apartment."

"We tried something I wanted to do today, so what's something you like to do?"

Bitty laughed. "Well I like playing hockey, but I'm not going to attempt that against _you_ of all people. Maybe we could go skating somewhere? Or... I don't know. I'm just realizing that all I really do is work and bake nowadays."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, not really. I _like_ baking. I used to do these little instructional videos in college, but how I really only get around to it every couple months or so."

"You like teaching people how to bake?"

"Oh, absolutely! People think it's so complicated that they get intimidated before they even start, but a little guidance goes a long way. The look on someone's face when they taste a recipe that they didn't think would turn out is wonderful. Or the excited little comments I would get on my vlog. People would send me pictures of their attempts at my old family recipes... it was a lot of fun."

"Do you think you could teach me how to bake something?" Jack asked. "I'm pretty impossible."

"Oh sweetheart, nobody is impossible. And you're so talented in many, _many_ ways that I'm sure you'll be an excellent little baker in no time."

Jack chuckled. "Want to try that? If you're up to the challenge? We could go skating and then you could attempt to teach me how to bake, if that sounds fun."

"I would honestly love that," Bitty said with a smile. "I work all evening tomorrow as well, but I'm free all day on Sunday."

"Me too." Jack parked outside Bitty's apartment building. "I hope things go well for you and your friend up there. I'll text you later and we can hammer out the rest of the details for Sunday."

"Sounds good to me, sweetpea."

Jack blushed. "Sweetpea? Haha. That's a new one."

"Do you not like it?"

"No, I-- I like it." Jack nodded his head. "I don't think I've ever been called one before..."

Bitty unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned in close to Jack's face. "Well, I find that very hard to believe because you are very sweet, _sweetpea_." He cupped Jack's cheek with one hand and guided him in for a kiss.

Jack smiled as Bitty got out of the car. "Have a good day, Bittle."

"You too, Mr. Zimmermann."

"It already is."

Bitty chuckled. "Charmer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol @ Jack thinking he comes off as some super confident guy
> 
> Up next: Bitty and Holster talk some stuff out and a wild Shitty appears.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm about to fall asleep so I'm sorry if I missed any typos/weird format stuff lol

"Hey," Bitty said as he walked in the door. He could see Holster was on the couch, but it wasn't until he stepped closer that he realized his friend was fast asleep. Bitty frowned at the thought of waking him, but he knew how much Holster wanted to talk. He sat down beside him and gently shook his shoulder. "Holster?"

"Whugh!" Holster awoke with a start and looked around the room. "Oh hey. Shit. How long was I out?"

"Unless you sleep-walked up here after our phone call, I'd say no more than 10 minutes. Rough night?"

"It was great meeting the Falcs and all, but..." Holster groaned. "To be honest, it kinda fucked up my night. I couldn't leave Rans alone to cover everyone, and Evan apparently tried waiting up for me and got all overtired and cranky so Becca bit my head off the second I got home. Evan woke up and took me like 45 minutes to get him settled back into bed, and he's been having bad dreams lately so he woke up again and wanted to sleep in my bed. He kicked me in the balls at like 5am because that kid squirms like hell in his sleep."

"Oh. Well..." Bitty wasn't sure how to respond.

Holster yawned and it turned into a heavy sigh. "I know all that's not your fault, obviously. But like-- I have a lot on my plate right now. It's one thing for you to keep Jack Zimmermann inside after the bar closes to make out or whatever, but a dozen people staying 'til nearly 1:00am when I have a kid at home... Can you check with me next time instead of Rans? He's obviously going to jump at the chance to meet Alexei Mashkov and forget about everyone else in his life. He fainted, by the way, when he met him. That was fun to deal with."

"Holster..." Bitty touched his arm. "You know you don't have to worry about that, right? It's just a silly crush -- he's not going to run off into the sunset with Alexei Mashkov."

"Maybe not... but he's not going to tread water forever waiting for me to get my shit together."

"I don't think Rans looks at it that way. Have you told him that's how you feel?"

"I'm afraid asking him will put the idea in his head," Holster admitted. "He dropped everything to follow me out here, and..." He shrugged his shoulders instead of finishing his sentence.

"Because he loves you. We all do. And it's not like this was all on some kind of whim -- you found out you had a son here. Obviously we were going to support you however we could. Your sisters, of course -- but Rans, me, Lardo, Shitty -- we're your family too. We're Evan's family too."

"Thanks, Bits."

"I want to apologize for what I said the other day -- that comment about using protection. I know that's not what happened, and I shouldn't have made a dig like that. Using your son's existence as a-- as some kind of card to play to win an argument. Suggesting he was a mistake -- that was completely uncalled for."

"I knew you didn't mean it like that. Though, to be completely honest, he kinda was a mistake," Holster said with a small chuckle.

"I prefer to think of him as a 'happy accident'," Bitty said, which caused Holster to laugh a little more. "He's a darling little boy and I think he's very lucky to have a daddy who loves him so much."

To Bitty's surprise and horror, Holster burst into tears at that last part. Bitty immediately scooted closer and wrapped his arms around his sobbing friend. Holster squeezed him tight as he cried into his shoulder.

"Adam, honey. Was it something I said? What's wrong?" Bitty asked when he felt Holster beginning to calm down again. 

"I still have no idea what I'm doing, Bitty. I knew the first bit would be a challenge -- taking on a toddler who didn't understand who I was or why mommy was only going to see him once a week..." Holster sighed. "I know his first couple years were rough. What if I'm not doing enough to make up for that now? And I thought things would at least get easier once he started going to school all day but it's just made me like ten times more anxious."

"In what way?"

"Is he gonna be able to keep up? Is he going to get bullied when the other kids find out his 'weird' family situation? The school sent home a note last week saying that the snacks I packed weren't good enough and now I'm fucking paranoid that they're going to call child services or some shit the next time I slip up. And then what? What are they going to think of the fact that I live with my two sisters and my college roommate in a house that only has three adult beds? Or the fact that Rans splits his time between my bed and couch whenever Evan has a nightmare because I don't know how to explain why 'Uncle Justin' is sleeping there too."

"Is that something that really needs an explanation, though? I never questioned why my parents shared a bedroom when I was a kid. He's only going to think it's strange if you act like it's strange." 

"Yeah, but your parents were married and you knew that's what parents do in a family. Rans is... we aren't married. He's not his father. Evan knows him as his 'uncle' -- how am I supposed to change all that on him now?" Holster asked.

"How do you expect you'll explain it when he inevitably discovers you two in bed together?"

'Well, fuck. Let's hope that's not an inevitability. I never walked in on my parents getting busy, did you? Woulda scarred me for life."

Bitty's eyes widened. "What? Lord, no! I wasn't-- I meant literally in bed together. Sleeping actual sleep."

"Oh."

"I know it's not my business, but since you brought it up. Are you guys...?"

Holster sighed. "Yeah. Sometimes. It's been a while, but... Usually Ransom makes the first move but it's been a few... months since he's really even done that. And he's the one who volunteered to take the couch whenever Evan has a bad dream in the first place. He's been pulling away for a while, I think I've just been in denial about it until last night. Seeing him fawn all over Alexei Mashkov like that really drove home that he could pack up and go tomorrow if the right person came along."

"You really think that's what he wants?"

I can't see how he wants this, at least." Holster sighed again. "Sometimes I catch him looking so sad, then he notices that I've seen him and smiles at me. But that second before he smiles just sticks with me. Have I forced him into an impossible situation? I don't know what I would do without him in my life every day, but maybe I should start figuring that out." 

"Do you still love him?"

"More than ever," Holster replied without missing a beat. 

"Have you told him that?"

"...No. What if he feels guilted into staying?"

Bitty smiled. "What if it doesn't? You won't know if you never try."

Holster looked like he was about to both laugh and cry at the thought. "That sounds fucking terrifying, but I'll try to try."

"Atta boy." Bitty laughed and gave Holster a sympathetic pat on the arm. 

Holster finally laughed again. "Fuck, I keep forgetting that your advice is so..."

"Good?" Bitty suggested.

"Frustrating. I have to actually do something about my problems? You're supposed to just comfort me in my misery."

"My mistake." 

Holster's grin faded into a serious expression again. "I owe you an apology too. I know you're an adult capable of making his own decisions and I shouldn't treat you like you're still some skittish little frog. You see the best in everybody and I worry that the wrong person will use that against you again someday, but I know you're a lot tougher than you look."

"Thanks."

"I'm sorry that I immediately rained on your parade when Zimmermann asked you out. Sounds like things went well despite my unsolicited input, at least."

Bitty smiled and lightly blushed. "He's so sweet, and handsome, and fun, and..." He shook his head. "Whatever you were expecting him to be like -- some hotshot playboy or whatever -- he's the exact opposite."

"I'm glad to hear I was so wrong. Honestly."

"I just spent the past 18 hours with him and I promise you that what you saw the other day is 100% what he's like. Or maybe it's 90% what he's like, but the other 10% is even better somehow."

"Does that 10% include whatever led to him spending the night last night."

"Included, definitely, but the whole 10% isn't just that. He's... It feels like I've known him for years. Have you ever met someone and just clicked so instantly?"

"Bitty."

"Oh lord, forget it. Look who I'm talking too." Bitty laughed. He had heard either Ransom or Holster retelling the story of how they became 'instant' best friends more times than he could count over the years.

"While we're sorta on the topic still," Holster began, "how grossed out do I have to be about sitting on this couch right now. How much 'chilling' was done during Netflix last night?"

"On the couch? Just some harmless making out. If we're counting the duration of time the movie was left playing while we moved to my bedroom? Considerably more."

"Really? Because when we talked on the phone you made it sound like that was pretty much off the table for the night."

Bitty looked over at his bedroom door and let the memories of the night before flood back. He bit his lip and felt his cheeks heat up with a blush. "I thought so too, but then we had a talk about our histories and worked through some of his nerves and... things moved on from there."

"He was the nervous one?"

"He's nothing like you thought, I told you that already. And that's as much as I'm going to say about that without checking with him," Bitty said calmly yet sternly. "I hope you'll keep an open mind next time you meet him."

"I promise." Holster smiled softly. "So... there's a 'next time' in the works already?"

Bitty chuckled. "There's a plan for a third date, and a mutual desire for something beyond that."

"Ew. Leave your 'mutual desire' talk for the bedroom, bro. Please." Holster laughed.

"You know what I mean, jerk." Bitty laughed too. "How did things go with the Falconers after our call last night? Did you find out why Robinson and St. Martin were acting strangely?"

"Yeah, you were right. They were afraid of outing you, but I cleared things up. Zimmermann really told Robinson and his wife just like that? 'We're on a date' like it was nothing?"

"I was pretty surprised too at first. It's been a while since I've been with someone so--" Bitty shrugged his shoulders. "I don't even know the words to describe it. He wasn't coming out to them for the shock value or anything, it was very matter-of-fact. We were on a date, so he told them so. It was really refreshing."

"I bet." Holster looked at his watch. "Shit. Evan's home in like half an hour. I gotta go to the school bus place."

"The bus stop?"

"Oh yeah, that's what they're called." Holster stood up and stretched, then gave Bitty a tight hug. "I'm sorry again about our fight. I love you, bro."

"I'm sorry too. I want you to know that you can come to me for anything, okay? You don't have to bottle so much up. We're family, right? I want to help. I love you both very much."

"Thanks, Bitty."

******

"Hey, Bits. You guys good back here if I head out?" Ransom asked as he walked into the kitchen. "Shits is doing okay working the bar and the dinner rush is slowing down."

"Absolutely. Thank you for all your help tonight, I know you were planning to head home earlier than this," Bitty replied.

"It's okay, comes with the territory. Do you have a few minutes to talk before I go?"

Bitty checked with the cook he had been helping get caught up with the busier-than-usual dinner rush. She had it under control so Bitty stepped into the office with Ransom. "Is everything okay?"

"You and Holtzy had a chance to talk some things out today, right? Everything good?"

"Yeah, we're good."

"And Zimmermann -- the date went well?"

Bitty laughed. "I feel like you're about to fire me or something. Am I getting written up?"

Ransom was caught off-guard by Bitty's joke. "I can't fire you what are you talking about?"

"I'm teasing. It's just weird sitting in the office like this."

Ransom bit his lip and looked down at his hands. "Sorry, I just didn't want to talk about this where anyone else could hear."

"What's wrong?"

"Well first of all, I'm sorry about the other day too. I didn't mean to make you feel like we were both ganging up on you. I was just really surprised by the everything of it, and when Holtzy said that stuff -- well, it kind of made sense, but I totally get why you were mad."

"It's okay. I could have handled it better than storming off like that, too." Bitty smiled.

"But the date was good?"

"The date was wonderful."

Ransom chuckled. "Good."

"...Is that all you wanted to talk about?" Bitty asked when Ransom looked back down at his hands.

Ransom sighed. "Mostly, yeah. I'm glad you and Holtzy patched things up. He's been under a lot of pressure lately and I've been trying to help, but I usually just fuck things up more."

"He sounded a little stressed earlier," Bitty admitted, keeping the full extent of what Holster had told him private. "There was something about Evan getting a note sent home in his lunch?"

Ransom covered his face with both hands. "Fuck. He told you about that? See, this is what I mean. I try to help and I mess it all up."

"What?"

"I packed that stupid lunch. So I put a couple cookies in there, who cares? It's not like his entire lunch was just that. He had a bunch of other healthy stuff there and they're going to bitch about two little cookies as a treat? I was trying to let Holtzy sleep in a bit because he wasn't feeling well so I got up and got Evan all set for school and it backfired."

"Oh. Well, he didn't tell me that you made that lunch, so I'm sure he's not holding it against you."

Ransom sighed again. "I don't know what to do, Bits. I'm trying to make his life as easy as possible right now but I... I'm totally lost. Evan's been having these bad dreams lately and I've been sleeping on the couch, so we don't even wake up together anymore. Not to mention anything else we used to do but haven't... in months. I feel like I'm always getting in his way."

Bitty patted his arm. "I don't think he feels that way."

"I don't know what to do. I thought moving here with him would be enough to show that I am in this for the long haul and totally committed -- but maybe he doesn't want me to be anymore?"

"Ransom, honey. I shouldn't say this, but... Holster and I talked about you a bit today too. He's... not thinking that way about you at all. He's worried that you're the one who wants to leave."

"What? Never. I love him."

Bitty stood and walked around the desk to give Ransom a hug. "You boys need to talk this out together. I think the pages you're both on are a lot closer than either of you think."

"I'm so relieved I might cry." 

"If you do, I ask that you avoid my hair -- it took me an hour to tame that darn cowlick of mine this afternoon," Bitty joked to lighten the mood. 

Ransom laughed but it came out more like a choked sob. "Thanks, Bits."

Bitty gave him a few extra pats on the back before they parted ways. "Anytime."

The dinner rush died down and the late-night rush began so Bitty rejoined Shitty to tend to the bar. It wasn't as busy as a night the Falconers were playing, but there was still a fair amount of patrons there to watch the Boston game.

Bitty welcomed the smaller crowd and the relatively easy orders to make. The cook was churning out nachos and wings, while Bitty and Shitty were primarily slinging beers and simple cocktails. Half the crowd left once the game was over, so Bitty took the opportunity to check his phone during the lull.

Jack: Did you want to go skating first or baking first on Saturday?

Jack: Also what kind of ingredients should I buy?

Jack: Sorry I meant SUNDAY haha

"Okay, so what the actual fuck, Bits?" Shitty asked.

"Hm?"

"I see you grinning away on your phone. Rans said you went on a date last night. Who's the mystery guy? He must like hockey if that was where you went, so that's a point in his favour at least."

Bitty chuckled. "Yeah, he's a big fan of hockey."

"Fuckin' 'swawe-swawes, brah. Finally you date a hockey fan. Does he know you used to play?"

"Yeah, it came up last night."

"Does he play? Bitty. My dude. You know we could always use another bro for that rec league team I wanna start next year. If he plays you better hang onto him."

Bitty laughed. "He does play, but--"

"Which position?"

"Center."

"BRO."

"I think he's pretty busy during hockey season, so even if this is long-term, he might not be free to help out our little Samwell 2.0 team for at least a few years still."

"Pfft! Weak." Shitty laughed. "Give me deets then at least. What's his name? Where'd you meet? How long has this been going on? How dare you not text me immediately when you got a new beau? Law school is a drag, m'dude. I need deets to keep me going those long nights between my Friday shifts."

"One sec, let me just check with him again."

"Check with-- Bits. Bitty. ERIC what the hell? What is he making you check in for? If--"

"Shitty. Shut up for a minute, I assure you it's nothing to worry about." Bitty dismissed him and texted Jack, who responded immediately.

Bitty: just quickly before anything -- you're definitely okay with me telling friends about you?

Jack: Of course.

"Okay, to answer your barrage of questions -- His name is Jack. I met him here at the bar... on Tuesday."

"You hooked up with a customer?"

"Shhh, no I did n-- oh. Well, sort of. He stayed behind after I closed up and we hit it off. Then he asked me out the next morning."

"Morning!"

Bitty hushed him again. "He came back here the next morning to ask me, we didn't spend the night together... that time."

"What? When? Last night? That's pretty fast for you."

Bitty blushed a little but shrugged his shoulders. "I know, but... I don't know what to say, Shitty? There's something about him. We really clicked, you know?"

"So when do I get to meet him? What's with the secrecy and checking in? I really don't like the sound of that. Literally thousands of alarm bells going off."

A customer came to order another round of beers for his table, so they paused their conversation for a moment. When the customer was out of earshot again, Bitty turned to Shitty and whispered. "You have to promise not to freak out."

"I don't promise anything. I'll wait to hear why you're being so secretive about someone you barely know."

"I told you, it's nothing bad. He's the absolute sweetest man I have ever met, but this is kind of uncharted territory for me."

"How? Is he--"

"It's Jack Zimmermann. Please don't freak out."

Instead, Shitty laughed. "You little fucker! You really had me going, what the hell?"

"I'm serious," Bitty said with a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. You know, I expected this from Rans and Holtzy -- they're assholes. But you? You, Bits? It's one thing to be like 'haha the Falcs came to the bar while you were stuck in stupid Harvard' but it's a whole other level entirely to stand right there and literally lie right to my face about wheeling a man whose ass was sculpted from captial Z-motherfucking-E-U-S himself on the summit of Mount Olympus."

"If you think that's impressive you should feel his abs. My brain completely short-circuited for a moment there."

"I bet." 

"It's true."

"Pics or it didn't happen."

"I don't have any pictures of us together, but I'm sure I can get him to send me a selfie."

Bitty: My friend thinks I'm pranking him. Can you send a selfie as proof? Lol

Jack: haha

Jack: Sure, one sec.

When the photo was received, Bitty showed it to Shitty. "See?"

"Bull shit." He laughed more. "Brah. That's a pic from his instagram. I saw that last week."

"Ugh, hang on a sec." Bitty sent another text.

Bitty: He still doesn't believe me. He says that it's from instagram lol

Jack: Oh, you need a photo from today? Okay, one sec.

Bitty: lol

Bitty: preferably holding today's newspaper. He is being VERY stubborn lol

Jack: Oh. I already took out my recycling.

Bitty: You still get the ACTUAL newspaper? 

Jack: Yeah haha

Jack: I was about to take a bit of a walk, should I stop by? 

Jack: I won't stay long, I know you're working.

Bitty: hahahaha that might kill him. PLEASE stop by lol

Jack: Haha. See you soon. :)

"He says he'll stop by in a bit." 

"I bet," Shitty said with a roll of his eyes.

Less than ten minutes later, Bitty got another text from Jack letting him know he was almost at the bar. Bitty watched the door with only a quick glance around the room to see if any patrons might notice Jack come in. They were preoccupied amongst themselves, much to Bitty's relief when Jack walked in the door.

"Shitty. Please stay quiet and please don't repeat what I told you about spending the night, but... he's here."

"Yeah? And I'm-- holy shit."

Bitty laughed and patted his back. "Nah. Just the regular kind, Shitty."

"Hey," Jack said, taking a seat on the same stool he had chosen a few nights earlier when he first met Bitty.

"Hey, stranger." Bitty leaned over on the bar. "Long time, no see-- oh!" He pulled back in surprise when Jack took the opportunity to give him a peck on the lips.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Jack smiled at him. "You're at work, I'll behave myself."

Shitty laughed in disbelief. "You are incredible. Honestly. Am I on a prank show? Why is this happening right now."

"Haha?"

"Are you for-- You still don't believe me?" Bitty was gobsmacked.

"Obviously you two know each other somehow and Zimmermann here is a good sport playing along with all this," Shitty said with a nod to Jack, "but you need to tell me who you're actually dating because I have known you since you were 18 years old and I can tell for a fact that you sir got laid last night. Give me the deets." He pointed at Bitty.

Bitty stared at Shitty like a deer caught in headlights, too worried what Jack's reaction might be to look over at him. "I..."

Jack snickered quietly which got Bitty's attention. "Well, I mean... I can vouch for that if you want?"

Bitty's face turned bright red, but he was relieved for the most part. "Jack, this is my friend Shitty. He's a lot sometimes, but he grows on you, I promise. Shitty, this is Jack. Please be cool."

"Shitty?" Jack repeated. 

"Yeah, it's been my nickname forever. It's cool to call me that. Or 'Shits' works too. Kinda like how we call this guy 'Bits' sometimes too."

"So 'Shits and Bits' eh? Sounds like a dog food I wouldn't want to eat."

"As opposed to dog food you would want to eat?"

"Haha. Good point." Jack chuckled. "Uh, my name is Jack. I don't really have a nickname? So you can just call me Jack. Or Zimmermann."

"Nice to meet you, Jack... you filthy fucking liar." Shitty laughed and shook hands with the very confused Jack. 

"You too?" Jack replied. When Shitty walked away to take the orders of other customers still laughing about the "prank," Jack turned back to Bitty. "Would you say this is going 'well?' I can't really gauge what's happening."

"It's going well-ish? He's in his final year of Harvard Law, his brain isn't exactly-- I'm not sure there's any room left in there to process new information. I don't know where on earth he got this 'prank' idea from, but I'm sure he'll come around in a few minutes."

"Oh, haha. Okay, sounds good."

"So, can I get you anything while you're here? Your usual, maybe?"

Jack chuckled. "Sure. Should I have a 'usual' at a bar? Uh-oh."

"I won't tell." Bitty winked at him as he started making the drink.

"Hey, so about those texts -- what should I buy for Sunday? I'm pretty sure I have flour already."

"Pretty sure? Oh, sweetheart." Bitty laughed at him. "I should have most of what we need as far as ingredients go, but that depends on what you want to bake."

"Me? Oh, I have no idea."

"Well," Bitty began as he placed the drink in front of Jack. "Sounds to me like you have some homework to do before our first lesson."

"Apparently, haha." Jack sipped his drink. "And skating? I was thinking maybe we could do that first -- I may not know much about baking or bartending, but I can make hot cocoa like nobody's business."

Bitty laughed. "That's a very endearing brag, sweetpea. Sounds wonderful."

"Is it okay that I came by? I can be too clingy sometimes, so if I get in your way just tell me to go."

"Oh honey, don't you worry. I am very happy to see your face right now. It's been an afternoon."

"Oh no. Was your talk with your friend not good?"

"No it was, but it was also just a lot. He's been going through some stuff lately with his son and someone he has feelings for and then we had our little fight of sorts..." Bitty sighed. "I hope things get better for him soon. I had a bit of a talk with Ransom tonight before he headed home too -- much shorter, but still."

"Sounds like a lot to deal with for one day."

"Yeah. It was overall okay, but draining. And I'm still worried about them both. Hopefully tomorrow will be a good news day, but in the meantime you smiling face is brightening my mood significantly."

"Haha, glad I could help. Is there anything else I can do? Do you want a hug?"

"Desperately, but..." Bitty looked over at Shitty who was just finishing up with some customers. "Hey, Shits? I'm going to give Jack here a little behind-the-scenes tour. Do you mind holding down the fort for a few minutes?"

Shitty smiled. "No problemo, Bits."

"I like that," Jack started with a chuckle as Bitty led him to the back. "Your nickname. 'Bits' is so cute."

"You can call me that too, if you'd like."

"Really? It's not just for close friends and stuff?"

"Well, you and I are getting pretty close in other ways."

"True." Jack took ahold of Bitty's hand while he was introduced to the cook and give a quick walk through the kitchen.

"I didn't realize she had orders to make, I'll have to give you a more in-depth tour another time when we won't be getting in her way."

"Sounds good."

"All that's really left back here is the storage closet and the office. Not too exciting."

"Which one is better for hugs?"

Bitty laughed. "Let's step into my office."

"Your office? Very professional."

"Well, my office that I share with four other people... and I don't know how professional it is to sneak my boyfriend back here when I should be working."

"Boyfriend, eh?"

Bitty wrapped his arms around Jack's waist and let himself sink into the feeling of being enveloped in his hug. He hadn't meant to say that word, but he was happy now that he did. Bitty let out a contented sigh. "I know I was insisting we wait until we saw how the third date went, but... why delay the inevitable? I know my feelings aren't going to change in the span of two days."

Jack chuckled. "I hope not."

"I think maybe I'm just scared," Bitty finally admitted.

"Of what?"

"Of how much I like you already. Really, truly like you. You're sweet, thoughtful, and a bit of a dweeb, and--" Bitty inhaled. "Damn you smell really good. What cologne is that?"

"Oh. I don't know. My dad gave it to me for my birthday so I use it if I'm going out."

"For a walk around the block?"

"Well, once I knew I was coming here to meet your friend I put some on. I wanted to make a good impression."

Bitty let out a little giggle. "Did you think he'd say 'you're too smelly to date my friend' or something?"

"It was... in the realm of possibility."

"I promise that the man who insists everyone call him 'Shitty' is not that superficial."

"Haha."

"I wonder how long it will take him to believe you're my boyfriend now."

Jack kissed the top of Bitty's head with a happy little hum, causing him to look up. "I like that I get to call you 'boyfriend' now."

Me too, sweetpea."

"Good thing I paid those kids today to convince you, eh?" Jack snickered.

"You know if I thought for a moment that you actually did that I'd be concerned, but I can tell you're only joking."

"Oh, yeah. I wouldn't actually do that, that's creepy."

Bitty laughed and went up on his toes to kiss Jack. "Good, we're on the same page. Those boys did help sway me a little, though."

"That's a fun age. I coached a couple years after my overdose. It'd be fun to do again after I retire."

Bitty froze, unsure if he should address what Jack had just revealed or not. He had alluded to substance abuse issues when they first met, but was the first Bitty had heard of an actual overdose. No wonder Jack was so adamant about limiting what he drank, and hadn't there been something about him taking minimal pain killers for his injury? 

Jack spoke again while Bitty was still thinking everything over. "Sorry, I thought you knew. It was when I was 19, right before the draft."

"I think I kind of knew -- you mentioned it a little before. And that story sounds vaguely familiar, but I don't think I pieced together that it was you instead of some random other NHL player."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry--" Bitty held Jack tighter when he started to let go of him. "--that you had to go through that. It must have been a very difficult time for you."

"You're not freaked out by it?"

"Oh honey, of course not!" Bitty tightened his arms around Jack even more and began to rub his back. "It makes me a little sad to think of how you must have felt back then, but also extra proud at how far you've come. Sounds like you've worked very hard and I hope you feel like you're in a better place now."

"I do."

"Is it hard for you to come around a bar like this?" 

"No, it's okay."

I hope you know you can talk to me about anything."

"I know. Thanks, Bits." Jack wrapped his arms around Bitty again and gave him a kiss. "I'll tell you about it sometime, but it's a lot to get into right now."

"I completely understand." Bitty gave him another kiss. 

"Do you have to get back to work?"

"I haven't taken a break all night, I'm sure Shitty can hold his own for a few more minutes."

Jack backed up another step so that he was half-sitting on the desk while still holding Bitty. "You sure you want to spend your whole break in the office with your boyfriend?"

"Absolutely. There's no place I'd rather be right now." Bitty grinned. "Except maybe curled up on the couch... or in bed..."

"Yeah, I like the sound of that." Jack pressed his thighs against Bitty's sides. "A lot."

"I can tell." Bitty started exploring Jack's body over his clothes. "Oh, the thoughts in my head right now... all the things I would do to you right here if I could..."

"Maybe I should call you 'Naughty Bits' instead?" 

Bitty snorted as he tried and failed to stifle a laugh. "Oh nooo. Sugar no, that's-- that's just plain awful!"

Jack snickered as Bitty collapsed forward against his chest from laughter. "What? You don't find it sexy if I talk about Naughty Bits' naughty bits?"

"Thats so gross I might actually vomit," Bitty shuddered but kept laughing. "At least I don't have to go back to work all hot and bothered for the rest of the night now."

"See? There's a method to my madness."

"And what method exactly is that, Mr. Zimmermann?"

"Making you laugh."

"Did you employ this method when you bought me those funeral flowers, by any chance?"

"Oh, uh, no. That was an honest mistake. I just thought they looked pretty. Haha."

"Well you were right about that -- they are lovely." Bitty kissed him and pulled Jack to his feet. "To be continued. I should get back to work."

"Yeah, I should probably head out soon after I finish my-- Oh. I forgot my drink."

"Shitty probably put it in the beer fridge, unless he was too busy with customers. We have little silicone lids to cover the drinks and hold them behind the bar for people if they have to go to the bathroom or something so that they don't leave their drinks unattended," Bitty explained as he led Jack back out to the main area of the bar.

"That's a good--"

Shitty interrupted them as soon as they stepped out from the back. "Perfect timing, Bits and boyf -- bachelorette party just walked in and are ordering a literal fuckton of drinks."

"Oops! That's my cue." Bitty gave Jack's hand a little squeeze before letting go. He retrieved Jack's drink from the beer fridge, then set to work helping Shitty with the orders. Jack sipped his drink while he watched Bitty and Shitty effortlessly mix over a dozen cocktails. 

"So..." Shitty started, and Bitty immediately laughed at him.

"So, you suddenly believe we're dating now? What changed while we were in the back?"

Shitty chuckled lightly. "I figured it out a little before then. He had this look on his face when you were talking to each other earlier, I can't explain it. And you were..." Shitty shrugged. "I dunno, brah. Is it rude to say 'happy?' A couple of smitten kittens, you two."

Bitty smiled. "Is it that obvious?"

"It's pretty obvious, now that I'm actually looking. Bits, I'm really sorry that I didn't beli--"

"Shitty. Hun. I cannot handle another emotional heart-to-heart today. We're good, I promise. No harm done."

"You sure?"

"Maybe have a quick normal interaction with Jack before he leaves, but otherwise? Yeah, we're good."

"What kind of normal interaction do you expect me to have with Jack _fucking_ Zimmermann?" Shitty whispered. "My dude is a hockey superhero."

"He's not, though. Not _only_ that, at least. Jack's..." Bitty looked over and made eye contact with his brand new boyfriend for a moment and they shared little smiles before he turned back to making his last drink. "He's a nice guy who knows how important my friends are and is worried about making a good first impression. Please be gentle."

"You _really _like him, huh?"

"I really, really do. I'm totally screwed." Bitty said with a little laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so tempted to write a little chapter about Bitty, Jack, and Shitty getting roped into participating in some of those dumb bachelorette party games people play.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little chapter about Ransom and Holster having a much-needed talk. Enjoy!

**7:15pm Friday**

"Welcome home," Holster said with a smile.

"Good to be home," Ransom said back. "Where's your mini-me?"

He turned back to the dishes in the sink. "With Beccs watching that Cars movie for the 8th time this week. I swear I could recite that entire movie from memory."

"It's a pretty cute movie."

Holster scoffed. "Watch it 80 more times and see if you change your tune."

"Holtzy..." Ransom approached and wrapped his arms around Holster's waist from behind. "I think we need to talk."

"Yeah. You're probably right." Holster felt his heart sink in his chest. This was it. The talk. "Can it wait until I'm finished the dishes?"

"Sure." Ransom rested his chin on Holster's shoulder and looked over at how many dishes were left to do. "Want some help? I'll dry."

Holster tensed up and Ransom took the cue to let go. "It's fine. They're almost done. I'm gonna let them air-dry."

"Okay..." Ransom stepped back and looked around the kitchen, deciding to help by putting away the dishes that were already dried. "Did you ever think back when we first met on the ice at Faber that we'd be--"

"Rans!" Holster barked out suddenly, startling him. "Give me five minutes, okay? Please. I can't-- I can't do this here."

Ransom silently finished putting the dishes away while Holster washed the last of them. He waited until Holster finally looked at him to speak. "Wanna go for a walk?"

"Sure." Holster smiled sadly. 

They didn't speak again until they were out on the sidewalk. Holster sent a quick text to his sister to let her know where he was going, then stuffed his hands in his coat pockets to keep them warm from the chill of a late-November evening. 

"You know how important you are to me, right?" Ransom asked.

"Jesus Christ, Rans. Can you just come out with it already? Just say what you want to say."

"What the hell is wrong with you today? I'm _trying_ to say what I want to say and you keep biting my head off." Ransom scoffed.

"You don't have to go through all the motions of letting me down easy. Stretching it out like this just makes it worse."

"Stretching what out? My apology? Just let me fucking talk and--"

Holster stopped. "Apology?"

"Yeah, I-- bro?" Ransom stopped and waited for Holster to start walking again.

"What do you have to apologize for?" Holster wondered quietly, much calmer than before.

"I feel like I've been letting you down lately. Messing things up. I can't even pack a school lunch--"

"--That cookie note was bullshit and everyone knows it."

"But it still stressed you out and that was the exact opposite of what I was trying to do."

"So what? Everything stresses me out, nowadays. I... fuck. I wasn't mad at _you_ for that. Did you think that I was?" Holster asked.

"I don't know. Yeah, I assumed so." Ransom shrugged his shoulders. "I was mad at myself for it."

"You were just trying to help. It's not your fault for not knowing."

"Isn't it though? Shouldn't I know this shit? Am I helping at all or just causing you more stress? I'm trying, I swear I'm trying... but if it's easier for you if I leave then I'll move out tomorrow if I have to."

Holster took a deep breath. This was what he was expecting. He could get through this. "If that's what you want, I under--"

"That's _not_ what I want."

"Then what do you want?" Holster asked impatiently.

"**_You!_** Asshole." Ransom stopped walking and grabbed Holster's arm. "I want a real relationship again. I want us to be a real family. I want you to stop feeling like you have to take on everything by yourself because I'm _right here_ and I'm not going anywhere... unless you want me to."

Holster sat down on a nearby bus bench and Ransom joined him. "I don't want you to go. Fuck, bro, that's the last thing I want. I don't know what I'd do without you in my life, but... Look, I know my life is messy and that's asking a lot from you. You didn't sign up for all this, so if it's too much--"

"I literally _did_ sign up for this, though. I moved out here for you. To be _with_ you. And you needed some time to adjust to suddenly being a dad, I get that. So we pressed pause on what was starting between us, but my feelings never changed. Did yours?"

"No," Holster's voice cracked and he shook his head instead of saying any more words.

"Then what the fuck are we doing here, eh?"

"Fuck, you're so Canadian." Holster tried to chirp, but he was already so close to crying. Ransom pulled him into a tight hug, which sent the first few tears finally rolling down his cheeks. Holster buried his face in the softness of Ransom's puffy coat. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"But you put your whole life on hold to follow me here. It's one thing to take a year off in Boston to work at some consulting firm, but you wanted to go to med school--"

"My _parents_ wanted me to go to med school. They also want grandchildren. I'm sure they'll be fine either way," Ransom's words earned a chuckle from Holster. "And they love you, and they love Evan... and Ife says they keep asking her if I've told her anything about our situation and my dad asks me every phone call if you and I are still 'getting along' okay. My mom will send me random articles about people in same-sex marriages -- so I'm pretty sure they're just waiting for me to tell them we're getting married."

"You want to get married?" Holster pulled back in order to look at Ransom's face.

"I-- well, maybe not right now, but... we've been living together in one way or another for more than seven years, so it's not like we're going to have any trouble on that front. And I've known I was in love with you for about the past _four_ of those, so..."

"Are you...?" Holster's words trailed off.

"It's a lot all at once, I get it. I just want you to know that if that's something you want -- I'm ready when you are."

Holster hugged him again. "I thought this talk was going to be about you running off with Alexei Mashkov or something."

Ransom laughed. "**_WHAT?!_**"

"You've been pulling away a bit lately. Right? I wasn't imagining that? And then with the Falcs the other day you were so damn happy to be talking to Mashkov, and-- and I haven't seen you that happy in a while."

"Yeah, I was happy. A bunch of 'swawesome celebrities were in our bar, of course I was happy. And yeah, I am a huge fan of Alexei Mashkov -- doesn't mean I'm gonna ride off into the sunset with him _even if_ he asked."

"He didn't ask though, right?" Holster asked teasingly.

Ransom chuckled. "No, he did not. He was cracking a lot of jokes and Snow was swearing a lot -- like, _a lot_ \-- even for a hockey player," he paused. "And as far as me 'pulling away' lately... I was trying to give you space. I didn't mean to worry you."

"So, the sleeping on the couch--"

"Obviously the little munchkin comes first, and I don't really know how to explain why we're sharing a bed to a 5 year old either -- especially at like 3:00am waking up from a dead sleep. I thought I was helping."

"Oh," Holster said quietly. "And the--" he looked around to check if there was anyone within earshot if his voice carried through the cool winter air. "We haven't had sex in months, or done anything, I-- we don't even kiss goodnight."

"The past few times I've made a move, you were stressed out that Evan might walk in. It's not exactly a great idea to keep _pushing_ something like that. I figured you'd make a move when you were feeling comfortable."

"And here I was thinking you completely lost interest..."

"No way." Ransom smiled. "And if it's kisses that you've been missing..." He leaned in and kissed Holster like no time had passed since they first figured out their feelings three years earlier.

"I mean-- that's not _all_ I've been missing," Holster teased.

"Anything else that wouldn't be illegal to do on a bus bench, though?"

"Good point," Holster agreed, causing them both to laugh. He rested his forehead on Ransom's shoulder again. "I did something kinda embarrassing the other day."

"Oh?"

"When Bitty and Zimmermann didn't show up at the bar with the other Falcs -- I called Bitty."

"What? Bro. You _knew_ they were on a date."

"I know, that's not even the embarrassing part. St. Martin and Robinson were being cagey when I asked if they were on their way so I got nervous that maybe there was something shady about Jack Zimmermann that the general population didn't know. When I called him, Bits was like 'they're probably worried about outing me to my old college teammates' which, like, I get, but still. So when I went back to the Falcs I mentioned that I had just spoken to Bitty on the phone and how I knew he and Zimmermann were just hanging out one-on-one."

"That still doesn't--"

"It doesn't sound like I knew, right? Like, was that the cover story I was giving them, or the cover story that Bits just gave me on the phone? So they were still awkward about everything, and -- goddammit this is so embarrassing -- I started saying stuff like 'Bitty's like a little brother to me,' 'we've been through a lot together,' 'our friends are really close-knit and don't have secrets from each other' and..."

"Uh-oh." Ransom chuckled.

"Then I pointed right at you while you were taking Mashkov's drink order and was like, 'Hey, see that guy over there? He's the love of my life,' like-- just proclaiming it to people I had never met before."

"Did it work at least?"

"Yeah, it worked." Holster scoffed a little laugh. "Everyone chilled out after that. Well, except for Carrie Robinson -- she was absolutely plastered the entire time. Not too concerned with conversations outside of some kind of punch Bitty made during the Falcs game."

Ransom smiled and stood up from the bench, pulling Holster with him. "I love you."

"I love you too." He gave Ransom's hand a small squeeze. "So... where do we go from here?"

Ransom hooked his arm around Holster and started walking. "Let's go home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have another short chapter in the works about bachelorette party shenanigans with Bitty, Jack, and Shitty in the works, then the fic will get back to the main storyline.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the bachelorette party shenanigans, begin!

"I got a bunch of texts from Marty this morning," Jack said as he finished his drink. "All in French, haha, but basically saying he's happy I trusted him to know and how he and Thirdy would have my back if I wanted the rest of the team to know? Also apparently his sister has a wife? I'm so dumb. She plays hockey too. I've actually met her before in the Olympics with Team Canada. She married one of the girls from Team USA last year."

"Again? Isn't that like the 5th time that's happened? Women's hockey feels like a whole other world compared to the men's game. I've never been stared down by an opposing player and thought 'maybe he wants to get hitched someday' but that might just be me."

"You haven't played against-- Oh. Um. Hi?" Jack stopped when a woman with a paper bag over her face walked up and inserted herself in the conversation.

"Yeah, totally. Like, how does that even happen, right?" The literal mystery woman said.

Bitty jumped back at the unexpected sight, but recovered quickly. "Can I help you with something, darlin'? Water, perhaps?"

The woman poked Jack in the arm and nearly lost her balance. It was clearly at least the second stop on this bachelorette party bar crawl. "Can you buy me a drink?"

Jack stared at the paper bag askew over the woman's face. He was pretty sure she could only see out of one of the eye holes. "I'm not sure that's a good idea..."

"No, no-- I'll buy you a drink too!"

"I think I'm--"

"It's for the scavenger hunt!" She shoved a sheet of paper decorated with clip art of pink martini glasses, diamond rings, and high-heeled shoes in front of him. 

Sure enough, the list contained items like 'put a paper bag on your head and introduce yourself,' 'buy a stranger a drink,' 'get a stranger to buy you a drink' and 'join a conversation with people you don't know' -- tasks that this woman was apparently trying to accomplish all at once.

"I'm Amanda!" She took the bag off of her head and smoothed out her hair. "Can you sign my face?"

Jack looked over at Bitty for help with what to do, but Bitty just shrugged his shoulders and laughed. "Oh, uh... Your face? Are you sure?"

"It's number 14 on the list," Amanda smiled and offered him her eyeliner. Jack gingerly signed her cheek with it then handed it back, and she used it to cross off the completed items on her list. "Okay but we need to buy each other drinks though. I crossed them off already."

"Can it be a glass of water? I'm not really drinking anything else tonight."

"Water is free though! I have to buy the drink!" She whined and turned to Bitty. "Hellllp."

Bitty smiled at her. "You're in luck, honey. Bachelorette party special -- a virgin Vodka-Water-Lime for only five cents."

"Score!" She slapped a quarter down on the bar top and proclaimed, "keep the change!"

Jack chuckled and offered up a dollar bill. "Keep the change, Bits."

"Thank you, sweetheart. You're both very generous."

"Awww! You're welcome!" Amanda stumbled back to the party's table with her glass of water and a lime wedge, even though half of the girls were scrambling around the bar trying to convince a few lingering middle-aged men to let them kiss their bald spots. 

"She forgot her paper bag," Jack said as he looked down beside his glass.

"Bag of horrors. I nearly had a heart attack when she stumbled on up here with that ghastly thing on her head. I'm pretty sure there's a slasher movie out there where that exact sight is the last thing the victims ever see."

"Haha, probably." 

"Did you--"

"WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Bitty and Jack looked over to find the group had reconvened at the table and the maid of honour had produced a bunch of bananas from her purse somehow. "Pair up, ladies! One holds the banana while the other... has to put a condom on it using only her teeth! Mouth, sorry. Mouth!"

"WOOOOO!!!!!"

The middle-aged men paid their bills and chuckled as they walked out the door. Jack was now the only other patron remaining, so it was probably for the best that the scavenger hunt game was over. 

Shitty slid up beside Bitty. "I checked all of their IDs -- that was apparently a scavenger hunt item so they were all very excited. Nobody is driving tonight -- the blonde girl's boyfriend is going to pick up some of them and the maid of honour's dad has a minivan for the rest whenever they're ready to go. They're drunk, but still doing good for now. Probably only a round or two before we have to start cutting people off though."

"Thanks, Shitty."

"--extra!" 

"Ask the bartender!" A round of excited giggles erupted.

One of the women stood up from her chair and immediately fell back onto it. "Ugh! I'm done with these fucking shoes!" She shook off her heels and pulled a pair of flats from her purse, slipping them on instead. She hurried over to Shitty and tossed her long black hair over her shoulder. "Oh my god can you play the game with us? We have an extra banana!"

"Don't I need a partner?"

The woman turned back to her group and started counting off. "1, 2, 3, 4..."

Shitty counted quicker and determined that he was right. He walked out from behind the bar and put an arm around Jack's shoulders. "Looks like it's you and me, Jackie-boy. Let's give it a shot."

"Only if you want to," Bitty reminded him.

"Would it make you uncomfortable?" Jack asked.

"Oh, Jack, honey. No, I'm fine. I've witnessed my share of bachelorette party madness, I promise you I will not get jealous over a silly game."

Jack was eager for an excuse to bond with Shitty, and didn't pay attention to what game he was signing up for until he was handed both a banana and a flavoured condom. "Um..."

"Hey!!!" Amanda pointed at him from across the table, then pointed proudly at the large smudge of eyeliner on her cheek that had briefly been his signature. "One of you has to hold the banana and th'other puts the comdom on--" she paused to giggle. "CON-DOM ON with your mouth!"

The dozen or so women laughed again at the idea of how badly these two men would do at this task, but once Jack learned there was a prize for the winning pair, his competitive nature came through. 

"You should hold the banana," Jack said as he handed it to Shitty.

"Brah. You don't have to--"

"If we're doing this, then I wanna win this thing," Jack said, full of determination.

Shitty flashed a goofy grin back at Bitty who was pouring multiple "bachelorette party specials" to offer the table for the low low price of free -- it was just water and a lime wedge, after all. A little hydration never hurt during a night of binge-drinking.

"Ready! Set!" The maid of honour and judge of the competition called out. "GO!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Jack removed the condom, held it gently between his lips and proceeded to put the condom on the banana with no complications. He sat up and raised his hand halfway. "Um, done?"

"Holy fuck!" Shitty cackled.

Two women had lost control of the condoms before ever reaching their bananas, and a third barely got her mouth around the fruit before gagging and having an all-too-close brush with vomiting on her friend.

Bitty arrived with the waters at that exact moment. "Aaand that is why this kind of game should be played before the serious drinking starts," he said with a laugh. "Here's some water, honey. How are you feeling?"

"Good. Thanks. Water is... probably a good."

"It is definitely a good."

"Here are your prizes, gentlemen!" The maid of honour handed over two small goodie bags. Inside each was a five dollar gift card to Sephora.

"Nice!" Shitty said with a look towards Bitty. "You know Lards is wicked with that eyeliner. She does that wing thing? Even did it on me the other day. Bits. Bro. I looked fucking gorgeous! Sexy as hell."

"I don't doubt that one bit, beautiful." Bitty kissed the top of Shitty's head as he walked past to hand out the rest of the waters. He gave a little wink at Jack, who laughed.

Jack looked down at the gift card in his hand. He put it down on the table and picked up the condom-covered banana. "Can I keep the banana instead?" Jack asked the maid of honour.

"THE BANANA?!!!" Shitty cackled.

"Haha yeah. I'm all out at home and need one for my protein shake tomorrow morning. I was supposed to take a quick walk to the store earlier, but... here I am." Jack shrugged his shoulders with a small chuckle.

"It had a condom on it."

"Yeah, but the peel protects from that. Right?"

"I-- I guess, yeah? You can keep the banana..." The maid of honour looked baffled. "You don't want the gift card anyway? You can give it to your girlfriend."

Shitty choked on the water Bitty had just handed him. "Did you see what he did? My dude just deep-throated a banana, and you think he has a girlfriend?" He asked the group, unsure if it was progressive or naïve for them to think so. Given his wealth of experience with bachelorette parties in the bar, he was fairly confident that it was the latter.

"Shitty!" Bitty scolded him on Jack's behalf, but Jack just laughed at the situation. 

"I, uh, don't have a girlfriend," Jack explained. A few of the women at the table perked up at the thought that this handsome man was single, completely missing the point. Another banana was passed down to him from somewhere down the table, this time with a phone number written on it. "Uh, Bits?"

"Oh, for the love of-- Ladies? He's not interested at the moment, okay? Let's not make him uncomfortable. Maybe move on to the next game."

Jack tucked both bananas into his coat pocket. "I'm not gonna call it, I promise. It's just two bananas are better than one."

"Jesus Christ!" Shitty wiped a tear from his eye from laughing too hard and gave Jack's shoulder an excited shake. "You found yourself one odd little dude, Bits. I love him."

"He has a shoulder injury, Shitty. Careful." Bitty swatted his hand away.

"It's okay. It's the other shoulder," Jack pointed out.

"Oh?" Bitty, who had been standing behind, stepped around Jack to face him like they were in bed the night before. "Oh! That's right. Silly me."

"Okay, folks. Thanks for the invite to this little game, but Bitty and I should get back to work making your drinks."

"Yeah, and I should probably get going too." Jack started to get up from his chair but the women protested.

"One more game!"

"You guys play too!"

"But first -- it's Blow Job time!" One woman exclaimed.

"WOOOOO!!!!!"

Jack pushed his chair back from the table. "Uh, Bits?"

Bitty laughed and patted his shoulder. This was not his first bachelorette rodeo. "It's the name of a shot, don't worry."

"Oh, haha. Okay good."

Bitty leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Speaking of, I won't mind one bit if you try that little banana move next time we're together..."

"Oh, you saw that, eh?" Jack laughed, his cheeks turning pink.

"Honey, I can't stop thinking about it." Bitty winked, which caused Jack to blush deeper. "Okay, y'all -- what else can I get you to drink?"

Bitty and Shitty took the drink orders and left to make them while half the women scrambled off for a quick bathroom break between games. 

"Uhh... What is the next game, by the way?" Jack asked as he sipped his water.

"It's called 'Bottom's Up' and you take a sip every time you've done something on the list," the maid of honour explained. "You should probably order a drink."

"Oh, I-- I'm probably leaving after this, so I'm gonna stick to water."

One of the women at the far end of the table called over to him, now that the room was a little quieter. "Hey! Are you Jack Zimmermann?"

Jack froze for a moment before giving a small nod. "Oh, uh, yeah. That's me."

"Who's Jack Zimmeran?"

"He's a hockey player!" The woman hurried over and sat down in the empty seat next to him. "Can I have your autograph? Can we take a selfie?"

"Okay," Jack reluctantly agreed and let the woman get in close while he rested his arm on the back of her chair. Picture complete, he signed the back of some piece of paper she dug out of her purse. "What's your name?"

"Jessica!" She looked down at the piece of paper as Jack handed it back to her. "'Nice to meet you, Jessica.' Aww!"

"Haha." Jack pushed back his chair with a glance over at the bar and excused himself. "I'm gonna see if they need help carrying drinks over."

"Someone recognized you, huh?" Bitty asked sympathetically as Jack leaned over the bar.

"Yeah. I mean, it's not like I'm not used to it, but sometimes I'm still not used to it, you know? She was nice, at least. I don't think anyone else knows who I am."

"Can I get you something to drink, brah?" Shitty asked. 

"No, uh, I'm definitely just sticking to water. I think I'm gonna be on Instagram now, so I have to behave."

"I don't think one beer is going to make you a rowdy drunk," Shitty replied but Bitty motioned to him to stop.

"Here you go, sweetpea." Bitty placed the glass of water in front of Jack. "No worries."

"Thanks." Jack smiled. "You boys need any help carrying drinks over? Those look fancy."

"The strawberry margaritas? They're not that fancy in practice, but I agree they do look pretty," Bitty said as he finished adding garnishes to the four in front of him. "Are you allergic to strawberries?"

"No. I like them," Jack replied. He laughed when Bitty added the same strawberry and lime-slice garnish to his glass of water. "Thanks."

"You're very welcome, Mr. Zimmermann." Bitty loaded up a tray of drinks, then a second, smaller tray full of shots topped with whipped cream. "Actually, honey. We could use your help carrying something. Can you get those shots?"

"Sure." Jack added his glass of water to the tray and by the time he had carefully picked it up with both hands, Bitty and Shitty had already rounded the bar with their trays and were headed to the table. "Oh boy," he said when he arrived behind them and placed his tray safely on the table.

Bitty took over, handing out little plastic bibs from his apron with each shot. "Y'all are dressed so nice, I'd hate you to make a mess of these nice outfits. Best to keep phones and purses off the table for a minute, too."

"Okay ladies, you know how this goes. Hands behind your backs!" The maid of honour instructed, preparing to take a shot of her own. "Take the shot in your mouth and swallow."

Jack looked over at Bitty in a mild panic. "I don't think I should be watching this..."

Bitty laughed. "Trust me, it will not go nearly as sexy as you're imagining. You might want to look away for an entirely different reason."

The shots went about as well as they usually do. Multiple women spilled or sputtered the drinks out, unable to swallow properly while their mouths were still around a glass. Two spit their glasses out across the table. A few managed their shots with relatively no complications, but for the most part, the table was a mess. Bitty collected the used glasses while Shitty quickly wiped down the table.

"WOOO!!!"

Bitty and Shitty returned right as the next game was about to start. They grabbed their seats as the maid of honour announced, "this game is called 'bottoms up'."

"You heard the lady, on your feet, Bits." Shitty teased quietly and Bitty kicked him under the table while laughing.

"Hush!"

The list started out benign, mostly things to do with the bride whose name the men still didn't even know. Take a sip if you've known the bride for more than five years, met her at work, at school, have ever seen a baby photo of her -- the list went on. 

Round two was more generalized. Take a sip if you've ever been the designated driver, if you were ID'd tonight -- that was an exciting one for the table since Shitty had done just that when the party first arrived. Drink if you have ever smoked, smoked pot, have blue, green, or brown eyes. 

Drink if you see a cute boy.

Bitty wasn't sure who else at the table drank, but Jack looked directly at him as he sipped his water and he felt like melting. He smiled back at Jack as he sipped his own water.

"Round three! 'Bottoms up' if... you're not wearing any underwear!"

Shitty and three women took a sip. Drink if you've ever skinny dipped, or prefer to sleep naked.

"I would be so trashed right now if I was actually drinking," Shitty said and sipped his water. When the woman beside him protested that he and the other men were only drinking water, Shitty shook his head. "No can do. Bitty and I are still on the clock and Jack here is done for the night."

"Drink if... someone bought you flowers in the past week." Bitty took a sip and grinned at Jack while someone at the table complained that nobody actually does that anymore. 

"Drink if you're married!" A few of the women and Shitty drank.

"Oh lord, that's right. I keep forgetting you actually got married." Bitty laughed. "Strangest wedding I've ever been to. We played beer pong at the reception," he explained to Jack.

When "if you've ever been cheated on" came up, Jack took a sip and earned unwanted attention from the very drunk woman to his right. She hugged his arm. "Aww! You poor thing."

"Ah--" Shitty stepped in when Jack looked uncomfortable. "Consent goes both ways. Hands to yourselves, everybody."

"Oh my god. Get off of him, Stacy. Do you even know who that is?"

Jack laughed it off awkwardly and scooted his chair a little closer to Bitty. He elbowed Bitty playfully when "drink if you gave someone your number this week" came up on the list, and Bitty elbowed him back.

"Bottoms up if... you have a boyfriend!"

"Haha!" An excited burst of laughter escaped Jack's lips. He exchanged looks with Bitty, who smiled coyly at him, then drank at the same time.

"Wait. What?" 

"Keep going! I wanna drink!" Amanda cut off any further questions. When Jack smiled at her, she responded with a wink and finger guns. "Round four!!!"

Round four began with instructions to drink if the player had a condom in their purse or wallet, and Jack's sip raised Bitty's eyebrow. "You do? Honey, if you didn't want--"

"Ah-- no. I, uh-- I bought those this afternoon. Didn't want to be unprepared whenever next time comes around."

"Oh, phew!" Bitty said with a little laugh. 

Jack rested his hand on Bitty's leg under cover of the table, and that became all Bitty could really think about while the maid of honour listed off non-traditional yet cliché places to have sex such as in the shower, in a car, or on the beach.

"I cannot think of a more uncomfortable place to have sex than on the beach," Amanda commented.

"Have you had sex in a car? It's so cramped," another woman countered.

"Car sex doesn't get sand in my vag, Karen!"

"My name is Ashleigh..."

The maid of honour powered through the debate. "Bottoms up if... you prefer to be 'on top' during sex."

Bitty and Jack looked at each other, not sipping. This wasn't a conversation that had come up yet in their four-day relationship, and their experience the night before hadn't revealed much in that sense. "Uh..."

"I mean, I don't prefer it, like, in an I-only-want-to-do-that kinda way." Jack whispered, his cheeks flushing red. "I'm versatile?"

Bitty chuckled with relief. "Me too. Maybe not as experienced one way compared to the other, but..." he shrugged his shoulders to avoid saying more with other people in earshot. Thankfully, the bachelorette party was engaged in another debate, this time about the merits of different sexual positions.

Jack laughed and inched back in his chair. "I feel like I shouldn't be hearing all of this.

"This is relatively tame compared to some of the ones that have come through here. Or -- good lord -- when there are multiple bachelor or bachelorette parties happening at the same time? Absolute chaos." Bitty gave Jack's hand a small squeeze. 

"Drink if your husband or boyfriend or fiancé has a nickname for his 'naughty bits'!"

Jack tried for all of one second to contain his laughter before surrendering to uncontrollable snickering.

"Nooo! That does not count!" Bitty managed to say before collapsing forward onto the table with his face hidden in his arms, also laughing out of control. "Don't you dare!" He said, his voice muffled.

"Well, fuck. You gotta share now after that kind of reaction," Shitty said. "As your best friend in this entire goddamn planet, I demand to know the name of your dick."

Bitty looked up to his horror to find all eyes on him. Jack continued to laugh, offering no help. "It's not-- I don't have a name for-- UGH. OH MY GOD! It was just a silly inside joke from earlier because people call me 'Bits' and--"

"Did you defile our office???" 

"NO. Okay, moving on! Sorry we keep derailing your party game. Ignore us. Please," Bitty said to the maid of honour.

"Bottoms up if... you had sex last night!"

Bitty finished his water and immediately stood. "Wow! Wasn't that fun? I'll collect your empty glasses now," he said in an attempt to stop further personal conversation on that topic before it started.

"I have to pee again!" One woman announced, prompting three friends to join her on a trip to the washroom. 

"Psst! Hey!" Amanda said in a stage whisper before staggering to her feet and walking over to Jack. She dropped down into the chair beside him and it wobbled a bit, so Jack protectively put a hand out to catch her chair if it tipped over.

"You okay?" Jack asked.

"Do you-- D'you wanna know a secret?"

"Uh..."

"Shhh. We're buddies right? You did the-- the thing with the--" she pointed at her cheek, which had since been washed clean in the bathroom. "That's an unbreakable bond, you you know?"

"Haha. Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, so c'mere..." Amanada tugged his arm and leaned in close to his ear. "I'm like... really fucking gay. Like, so much."

Jack laughed. "Congratulations?"

"Thank you! Finally!" She picked up a drink that Jack was fairly certain belonged to someone else and clinked it against his glass before finishing it off. "Congra-- ats, to you too. We should take a picture! Where's my phone?"

"I have mine here," Jack offered.

"Can you send that to me after? The picture?"

"Haha, sure."

It was only after she saw herself on Jack's phone that she remembered she had washed off his eyeliner signature. "Awww, fuck. I should have been careful. I wasn't supposed to wash my cheek for forever!"

Jack chuckled awkwardly. "I don't think that's sanitary. I can autograph a piece of paper or something instead."

"But that was the moment we became best friends!"

"Well, now we have a picture to remember this night instead," Jack said, opening up his text messaging to send the photo to her. "What's your number?"

Amanda typed it into his phone, then squinted and read it back out loud to be sure she got it right. Jack sent it and she went off searching for her purse and phone. "Got it!" She announced when she returned to the seat next to him. "I can't believe you're gay too that's so crazy!"

Jack found himself being hugged again. "Oof! Uh, well, I'm actually bi, but--"

Amanda pulled back. "And that blond guy is your boyfriend?"

"Yeah."

"Oh my god." She got to her feet and made a beeline for the bar.

Bitty saw her hurry over as fast as she could in heels that looked like they were hurting her feet. "Can I help you, darlin'?"

"I just gave your boyfriend my phone number."

Bitty winced. It's not like hadn't seen her hugging up on him only minutes before. It wasn't even the first number Jack had been given that night, counting the banana. It probably was a pretty common occurrence whenever Jack went out, and something Bitty would need to trust his new boyfriend would never act on. Still, the boldness of this woman he just met to come over and brag about it knowing he was Jack's boyfriend was jarring. "...Okay?"

"No, it's okay. I'm super gay," she whispered. 

"Oh! Uh..."

"We're basically best friends now, so don't worry. I didn't wanna look like some shitty straight girl hitting on your man."

Bitty laughed. "Oh, okay honey. Thank you."

"Can I give you a hug too?"

"Sure." Bitty laughed. To his horror, Amanda began trying to climb over the bar top. "Ah-ah-- I'll come around to you."

"Okay cool."

Bitty gave her a hug and guided her back into her seat on the bar stool before returning behind the bar. "Okay, now. How about some water?"

"Water sounds like a good idea." Amanda nodded obediently.

Jack walked up that moment and leaned on the bar. "Hey, Bits. I think I'm probably gonna head home for the night. I'll see you Sunday?"

"It's a date." Bitty leaned in and gave Jack a peck on the lips. "Have a safe walk home."

"Haha I will. I wouldn't wanna fall and bruise my banana."

"...I don't even know how to react to that sentence."

"Haha."

"Dont forget about that homework, you hear? Pick out a recipe you want to bake."

"Will do." Jack stopped to say goodbye to Shitty briefly and then was gone.

"He's a weird dude, but I like him," Shitty said.

Bitty laughed. "Yeah, me too. Honestly, Shitty... I dont know what I'm going to do."

"About what? Jack?"

"He's just so sweet, and funny, and easy to talk to, and honest... I've known him for less than a week, I shouldn't like him this much already."

"The heart wants what it wants, brah. And for what it's worth, from a very partial observer, the feeling appears to be mutual."

"Don't get me starting to hear wedding bells just yet. Like I said, we only met on Tuesday."

Shitty chuckled. "I can't help it, Bits. We could _really _use him on our beer league team."

Bitty elbowed him with a laugh. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a short chapter. Oops lol  
Next, we're going to skip an ENTIRE DAY and pick up on Sunday for their skate & bake date lol


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post this tomorrow morning, but apparently my brain won't let me sleep until I do it so here's a random 3am update! 
> 
> Side note: you should get a flu shot if you can. I've been sick since new years eve. Not a fan of this flu business.

"Did you bring your camera?" Jack asked as he took one of bags from Bitty's arms. "I would have picked you up if I knew you had to carry so much stuff all this way."

"It was a ninety second walk, I assure you I was fine. And by camera do you mean my phone? I always have my phone on me." Bitty laughed.

"No, like your camcorder. I thought maybe you'd want to make a video later."

"Wait. What?" Bitty stared at him. "I don't-- I'm not-- Hmm. I think that's a discussion for a while down the road."

"Oh? Okay. You said that you missed it, so I thought maybe you'd want to make one where you told me what to do."

It took Bitty a moment to reset his brain and process what Jack was actually talking about. "Miss it? I've never even made-- Ohhh you meant for my baking vlog!" Bitty blushed.

"Yeah, why? Oh. Haha. Wow. Um..." Jack looked down at the bag in his arms. "No, uh, wow. No, I'm not ready for that either. Or ever, maybe. Unless you really want to someday--"

"Jack. Honey. Let's just forget this whole part of the conversation even happened before we both die of embarrassment."

Jack let out a small sigh of relief. "Okay, yeah. Haha. Good idea." He led the way into his condo and they put the grocery bags down on the counter. "Where are your skates?"

"Right here." Bitty spun around and tapped the skate bag on his back. "I almost brought my figure skates, but I wouldn't put it past you to convince me to play a little hockey, so these were the safer bet."

"Haha, you know me pretty well already, eh?"

"Apparently so," Bitty said as he finally gave Jack a kiss hello. "Hi."

"Hi." Jack smiled. "Ready to go?"

"I'm wearing about five layers of warm clothes, so yes. I'm all set."

"Haha." Jack locked the door behind them as they left. "Remember that girl with the paper bag? She texted me yesterday to apologize." 

"Oh that poor thing." Bitty laughed. "After you left, she just stayed up at the bar with Shitty and I. She took a ziploc baggie full of gummy penises out of her purse and just ate them like, three at a time."

"Oh boy." 

"And she kept saying 'I don't even like these things' but then she... Just. Continued. Eating. Them."

"Haha. Here, you should read the messages she sent," Jack said as he handed Bitty his phone. 

On it was a photo of an adorably awkward smiling Jack with a surprisingly photogenic yet very drunk young woman. Her eyes were a little glassy and bloodshot, but Amanda's makeup was surprisingly intact -- a light grey smudge by her ear being the only lingering evidence of the eyeliner signature from earlier in the night.

Amanda: Wow. YIKES. I am so sorry about last night.

Amanda: I am so hungover.

Amanda: sorry if I was a bit of a mess last night. You and your boyfriend are really cute.

Jack: Haha thanks.

"Aww, she thinks we're cute," Bitty said with a smile and a little nudge against Jack's arm in the elevator. He kept reading and was reminded of something he wanted to discuss with Jack.

Jack: Glad you got home safely. It was nice to meet you, you were funny.

Amanda: I remember next to nothing. Can you ask your boyfriend if I paid my bill? I don't remember doing it AT ALL. I'll go back in and pay

Jack: oh that's okay. I paid for everyone's tab. Kinda like a thank you for including me in those weird games.

Amanda: WHAT?? REALLY??? That's crazy nice. We were so obnoxious.

Jack: haha. It was fun. No worries.

"I can't believe you paid the tab for that entire bachelorette party. I saw you talking to Shitty before you left, but I didn't realize you were doing that. And the amount you paid was way more than their total ended up being."

Jack shrugged. "That was a tip."

"A very generous tip -- too generous." Bitty shuffled his feet through the snowy sidewalk. "Tipping a dollar for free glass of water is one thing, but leaving a thousand dollars behind for what turned out to be like, a third of that in total... I can't accept that. It's too much."

"It's almost Christmas."

"Jack..."

Jack sighed. "I wasn't trying show off, I just thought it would be nice."

"And it was nice. It was really nice, but--" Bitty paused to choose his words carefully. "If we're in a relationship now then maybe we need to talk about some things. Specifically money things -- involving me."

"Did it make you that uncomfortable?" Jack asked as he unlocked his car and Bitty hurried inside. Jack followed and chuckled when he saw Bitty turning his seat warmer to the highest setting.

"It-- Yes. A little. I-- Ugh. My ex was a bit older than me--"

"How much older?"

"Like, a decade or so-- I know." Bitty groaned when Jack looked surprised. "So he was a little more, uh, established in life than I was, let's say. He used to pay for everything even if I tried, and... Look, sometimes it was nice, but other times it made me feel..."

"Embarrassed?"

"Bought."

"Oh." Jack looked away.

Bitty touched his arm to make him turn back. "I know that's not what you were trying to do, but I didn't want to start off this relationship by hiding how I feel either."

"No, that's fair. I wouldn't want you to do that either." Jack took a deep breath. "And I promise that's really not what I was trying to do -- with you or your friend. I don't know how to explain it..."

"Take your time."

Jack sighed softly. "I don't spend money on a lot of things. If I do, I'd rather spend money on other people than myself, and... I don't know. It wasn't because I was showing off for your friend or trying to bribe you for dating me or something like that. It was more like a thank you to the bar? Because I met you there? And a thank you to those girls, because I got to say that I had a boyfriend during that game, even if they were all too drunk to remember. I was happy, that's all."

"Oh, honey..."

"I'm not really great with talking, so I guess I've gotten used to giving gifts over the years."

"Is that so? Because I have news for you, sugar -- I think you're very easy to talk to," Bitty said, causing Jack to let out a slightly bitter chuckle. "I'm serious!"

"Thanks, Bittle."

"I really do mean it, you know? This is all very new still, but already you're so-- we're like-- I feel like we've been pretty open and honest with one another already, which is pretty refreshing to me at least."

Jack smiled at that. "Yeah, me too."

"So even though it's so early into knowing each other, I feel like I already know quite a bit about you from the talks we've had so far. And I'm really looking forward to getting to know you even better in the future. Even silly little things, like what's your favourite colour."

"Oh, it's yellow."

Bitty chuckled. He was not expecting an actual answer, but appreciated it either way. "Oh really? Do you wear it a lot? I think I've mostly only seen you in suits and grey t-shirts."

"Oh, haha. Yeah I don't think I have any yellow shirts. I have my running shoes, though. They're pretty cool."

"They sound _very_ cool." Bitty smiled.

Jack looked at him with a fond smile. "Can I kiss you?"

"You don't have to ask, sweetheart." Bitty leaned over and gave him a gentle peck on the lips. "Shall we go? The ice rink awaits!"

"Haha, yeah. You're looking pretty cozy over there. You sure you're gonna be up to leaving this nice warm car to go skating?" Jack teased when Bitty nestled back against the heated seats.

"I'll warm up once I start moving around, I assure you."

"If you say so..."

"Hush up and drive, Mr. Zimmermann."

"Haha."

Once they arrived, they wasted no time getting out on the ice. "Just you wait, Mr. Zimmermann. I'm going to skate circles around you."

"Oh yeah?" Jack grinned as he stepped onto the ice before Bitty. "I'll race ya. First to the other end of the rink wins!"

Without a second to waste, Jack took off like a shot and Bitty hurried onto the ice behind him, laughing. He caught up halfway through the stretch, crossing in front of Jack then falling behind him for a moment, before surging ahead at the very end. Jack caught Bitty in his arms along the boards, both laughing.

"Literal circles, Jack!"

"Go easy on me, I'm injured."

"Nice try. You can't blame your shoulder for that one -- especially after starting a race with no warning."

Jack shrugged. "I'm sneaky."

"Very sneaky." Bitty kissed his cheek then pushed off of the boards, dragging Jack with him. "Let's take a few leisurely laps, first. Some of us aren't professional athletes and will be feeling the backlash from that sprint for the rest of the week on their legs after not warming up."

"I've been out of commission for a little while too, you know." Jack smiled and let Bitty set a more relaxed pace around the rink. "I skated with the team yesterday morning, though."

"Really?"

"Just to see how I'm moving around now and how it feels. I was in a no-contact jersey," Jack explained. "Oh, actually -- maybe I have a yellow shirt afterall, huh?"

"I don't think a no-contact jersey counts, honey."

Jack chuckled. "Okay, maybe not. I guess the team owns those, eh?"

"Yeah, they just might." Bitty grinned.

"I really like this," Jack said and gave Bitty's hand a small squeeze. "It's nice."

"I think so too." Bitty smiled and looked around at the other patrons of the rink to see if anyone was giving them any looks. Maybe it was for the best that Bitty was decked out in a puffy coat and all his winter gear -- at first glance some people would probably think he was a girl with short hair -- and there would be less chance for some ignorant or hateful comment to ruin what was already turning into a wonderful date. Jack was excited about what had been a welcoming response to coming out so far, and Bitty didn't want anything to taint that today.

"I told some of the other boys on the team yesterday, by the way."

"I'm sorry, honey, I was lost in my own thoughts there for a moment. Told the team what?"

"About you. My boyfriend. I told Georgia Martin too. She's not on the team, but she's really cool. She's always chirping Tater. Marty wants to meet you pretty badly, I think. He kept making sure I knew that you're invited to the team holiday party. Haha."

"I am?"

"Yeah, of course. It's on December 8th, do you have that night off work?"

"What day of the week is it?"

"A Sunday, I think. Kinda a weird night for it I guess, but we have an afternoon game that day, and then two days before our next game so it works the best if anyone gets a hangover from the party."

"Good idea. I do have Sundays off, but are you sure you want me to come along too? I won't be offended--"

"I want you there. Really."

"Then I'll be there with bells on-- not literally." Bitty laughed away the butterflies in his stomach. "Maybe literally. What should I wear?"

"Well, I wasn't on the team last year so I can't say for sure, but if I had to guess..." Jack shrugged. "Probably clothes."

"Oof. You're no help." Bitty gave him a playful whack on the arm.

Jack laughed. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, Bits. You'll look great in anything."

"Charmer."

Jack skated in close to whisper in Bitty's ear. "Is it less charming if I point out that you'd even look good naked?"

"Yes, but I'll allow it because that's high praise coming from a man who looks like you."

"Haha."

"Watch yourself, Mr. Zimmermann. You keep talking like that and we won't be drinking hot cocoa to warm up after this skate." Bitty whispered back.

"It was bound to happen once you taste how good my hot cocoa is, anyway."

"Oh really? You're talking a pretty big game about this."

"I'm very confident." Jack laughed. "--About the cocoa. I'm pretty nervous about everything else, like, in general. Like, life-wise."

Bitty chuckled and hugged his arm. "Aww, honey."

"I'm kidding around. We have baking to do first -- or only, if that's, uh, you know-- no pressure, okay?"

"I know, sweetheart. And same right back at you, okay?"

Thanks, Bittle."

"So, you said you told some of your teammates about me, but then you only mentioned Marty and your friend George..."

"Oh, yeah. A couple of the guys who went to your bar the other night were talking about it and they asked Thirdy how he'd heard about it. And he and Marty kinda looked at me like they didn't know what to say so I just stepped in and say 'my boyfriend owns it' like that."

"Oh wow. How did everyone react?"

"It was pretty good. Snowy was basically like 'oh cool' and Tater was the one who first brought up the holiday party, I think because he's hoping you'll make some fancy drinks, haha. Fitzgerald, uh, he didn't exactly believe me at first? He kinda laughed, but Thirdy set him straight. A couple of the younger guys were nearby and I think they overheard but they didn't say anything."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"I dunno. I think it just kinda 'is' you know? George said to let her know if anyone gives me any trouble, but that it shouldn't be too much of a problem. We had a big team meeting at the beginning of the year about there being a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to anything homophobic or racist or stuff like that. And Thirdy and Marty are really respected in that locker room -- if they say something, the rest of the boys are gonna listen."

"That's good. I know firsthand how much it means to have a supportive team when you first come out."

"What was it like for-- Woah!" A little girl fell directly in front of them and Jack abruptly stopped. "You okay there?"

The little girl immediately burst into tears and Bitty crouched down in front on her. "Hey, honey. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

She shook her head no but continued to cry. Jack made sure the skaters going by gave them a wide berth and looked around to see a young woman hurrying over directly to them. "Oh good. I think her mom is on the way."

"You're sure you're not hurt?" Bitty checked again and the girl nodded. "Just scared? That's okay. Falling is scary sometimes." The little girl nodded again and started to calm down a little. "It's okay, your mama is here."

"Is she hurt?" The woman asked as she skated up.

"Just a little startled, I think."

"Oh thank goodness."

"Mommy I want to go home."

"Ok sweetie, we can go home. You have to skate back to the bench though, okay? Want to hold my hand?"

"Yeah." The little girl stood up on wobbly legs and took her mom's hand, then immediately grabbed Bitty's hand as well.

"Oh! Um..."

"Oh, sweetie, no. Don't bother the nice man."

"It's no bother to me. Those benches aren't too far, I don't mind helping y'all skate over there."

"Thanks."

Bitty and the mom helped the little girl skate over to the edge of the rink where the benches were while Jack followed closely behind. "I'm Eric, by the way. This is Jack."

"Thanks again, Eric. And Jack-- Are you...?" She stared at Jack. "Are you Jack Zimmermann?"

"Oh, haha, yeah."

"Oh my god. Can I have your autogr-- shoot! I don't have anything for that. Can we take a picture? My nephew is your biggest fan. I'll definitely be the cool aunt."

"Sure," Jack said with a smile. He put his arm around Bitty while the mom held her now calm daughter and a passerby offered to take the picture. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you both too! Your mother must be so proud."

"Haha, thanks." Jack waved and skated away with his arm still around Bitty.

"Does it ever get tiring? Being recognized all the time like that?" Bitty asked. He pulled away slightly and resumed holding Jack's hand instead to keep them both steady on their skates.

"Sometimes. I don't mind it as much when the people are happy, though. It's the ones that come up when I'm in line at the store to complain about a shot I missed or something that bug me."

"I was going to say that I can't believe people would be so awful, but I work in the service industry so I believe it." Bitty laughed.

"And it's not nearly as bad for me as some people. My parents got recognized way more when I was growing up than I think I do now. Maybe it helps that I've been away so soon after the season started. People haven't seen my face enough around here to recognize me."

"True... I guess all of that's going to change in a couple weeks, huh?"

"Yeah." Jack sighed. "I'm excited to get back out on the ice, though. I really miss playing. And I didn't know what to expect those first few weeks, but this team seems really great. I want to contribute as much as I can. Prove that I'm-- eugh. I want to do my best for the Falcs," he corrected himself.

"Jack, honey, listen to me. Injuries happen. You wouldn't fault another teammate for getting hurt, would you?"

"Of course not."

"Precisely. You don't have to prove yourself to anyone. That horrible analyst the other night was just plain wrong, and if people can't see that, then--" Bitty searched for a more eloquent way to phrase it, but came up with nothing. "Well, then fuck 'em."

Jack laughed. "Thanks, Bittle. That makes me feel better."

"Happy to help, sweetheart." 

"I'm really happy I met you. I feel like... I can just be myself around you, ya know? Like I can let my guard down a little -- it's been all the way up for so long, but you're-- eugh. Is it naïve to trust someone you just met so much? No offence."

"No, none taken. I feel the same way. It's been a whirlwind of a week but I don't know what it is, something just clicked when I met you."

"I'm happy I walked into your bar, Bittle."

"Me too, sweetheart. Both times. Actually, the third time in particular because that's when you ran back in to ask me on a date."

"I like the fourth time, especially when you called me your boyfriend."

Bitty hummed with approval. "I like that time too."

Jack skated up in front of Bitty and turned around to kiss him while skating backwards. "Sorry, I just really wanted to kiss you."

Bitty chuckled and spun them both slightly so that he was now skating backwards. "You don't have to apologi--" His smile faded when he saw a man coming up behind Jack.

The man had a scowl on his face and made sure his disgust was known once he realized that Bitty was a man. "Uck." Bitty winced as he skated past.

"Excuse me--"

"Jack, don't--" Bitty stopped him. "Listen. There is nothing wrong with giving me a peck on the lips in public -- but getting into a fist fight in front of a bunch of children is definitely not the way to go."

"He deserves it."

"He does, but you don't."

Jack sighed. "You're right." He gave Bitty another chaste kiss just to drive the point home to any onlookers who might share that other man's bigoted views.

They skated for a while longer, until a particularly big cloud passing by blocked what little warmth Bitty was getting from the sunshine. He shivered. "It's harder to stay warm when I'm not working on jumps or chasing a puck around."

"Well, we could change that." Jack pointed to where the far end of the rink had been sectioned off for a game of shinny.

Bitty laughed. "I think those kids are already using it."

"I have a feeling they'll let us join their game, Bittle." Jack winked. "That's the one perk of being a 'famous' hockey player." He used air quotes as he said the word "famous" as though he didn't believe it himself.

"Well, it might be fun for a little while. I do really miss it."

"Let's go ask," Jack said, practically pulling Bitty down the stretch of ice. "Hey boys, uh, and girls, um, everybody. Can we join--"

"Holy shit!" One teenager yelled in shock and the group immediately swarmed in front of Jack.

"Jack Zimmermann!?"

"Yes! You can play! On my team!"

"That's not fair!"

"Too bad. It's called dibs, asshole. Suck it!"

Jack cleared his throat and instantly regained the attention of the bickering teens. "Remember -- I'm still on IR, so I might need you guys to go easy on me." The teenagers laughed. "I'm serious. The smart bet would be to go for Bittle here instead."

Bitty laughed when four sets of eyes focused on him and tried to figure out if they were supposed to know who he was already. "Hi, I'm Eric Bittle. Jack is just being flattering -- I haven't played much since college."

"He was captain of his team and scored the game-winner in the NCAA championship his senior year," Jack added. "He'd be my first pick, 110%."

One of the boys closest to Bitty looked him up and down. "You're pretty short for a hockey player."

"What the fuck does that have to do with anything? I'm short and I kick your ass every time," a girl nearby replied.

"Yeah, but you're a girl."

"So? You can be on my team." She took Bitty by the arm. "Suck my dick, Travis." The 5'2" blonde accompanied her words with an obscene gesture while Bitty watched awkwardly.

"Okay, Kelleigh's a captain and I'm a captain. Three on three, let's do this! Zimmermann, you're with me."

Jack laughed and followed the teenager to the other side of what was roughly centre of their much-smaller-than-regulation rink. "So, standard shinny? No checking? I'm guessing we don't have goalies."

The kid laughed as Jack looked at the half-sized goal. "Nah, might be a bit of a waste. Other than that, just keep shots low, I guess? We don't wanna be sniping some random kid in the head skating around over there."

"Good point."

"Oh lord, I'm so happy y'all aren't allowing checking. I might have a shot after all," Bitty said to Kelleigh and his other teammate. 

"Dude. Okay, I gotta ask -- are you from Texas or something?"

"Georgia."

"And you play hockey?"

"Well, played hockey. Just a little co-ed league down in Georgia, then I got my hockey scholarship to Samwell University and played there for four years."

"Like, a full scholarship?"

Bitty laughed. "Yes."

"Shit, I would kill for a hockey scholarship. My cousin played for Wayne State but they discontinued women's hockey there the year after she graduated which sucks."

"You could always check out Samwell. I was a total longshot but I made it somehow. Wouldn't trade my time there for the whole world."

"There you go, Kell. If I got into Brown we wouldn't even have to be long long-distance. We could still visit each other on weekends."

"This is my boyfriend Darren, by the way," she explained quickly to Bitty. "And those other guys are my brother Blaine, and Travis. Travis has herpes."

"What did you say?" Travis asked.

"I said YOU HAVE HERPES, Travis!"

"Quit saying I have herpes! I don't!"

Darren laughed. "What's that shit on your lip then?"

"I told you guys, I stabbed myself with a fork at Thanksgiving!" That set of a round of cackling amongst the teenagers. 

Jack looked at Bitty and shrugged his shoulders before grabbing some rental sticks and skating back over to hand one to him. "Might need these, eh?"

"Be careful, okay? I don't want you hurting your shoulder any worse, even if that would mean some extra time together on game days."

"Well, when you put it that way..." Jack grinned.

"Behave yourself, Mr. Zimmermann."

"Haha."

It didn't take long after the game was underway for Bitty to get his hockey legs back. Without goalies, the game was basically about who could control the puck better, and not only was Bitty quick on his feet, he also had a knack for stealing the puck.

Bitty had one goal and two assists already when he did a small jump, spinning to avoid a collision with Travis and managing to get the puck away from him when his skates touched back down on the ice. He scored his second goal, bringing the game to 4-3.

Jack excitedly gave Bitty a fist bump, to the loud protests from his teammates. "That was incredible, Bits!"

"Hey! He's on the other team!"

"My bad, boys." Jack snickered as Bitty skated away.

"Where'd you learn to do that!?" Darren gave Bitty a fist bump as well.

Bitty blushed a little. "I also used to figure skate. Can't do too much on these old hockey skates, but the instinct is still there I guess."

"Your friend is unbelievable. Where'd you find this guy anyway?" Blaine asked Jack as Bitty's team talked amongst themselves.

"He's my boyfriend."

Blaine's smile dropped and he stared at Jack as if he had seen a ghost. "What?"

"He's my boyfriend," Jack repeated calmly, though the shock on the boy's face made his heart speed up a few extra beats.

"You're gay?"

Jack faltered. "I-- um, well, bi. I'm bi? But--" Jack suddenly found himself wrapped in a tight hug. "Huh?"

"Me too," the teenager's words were muffled against the shoulder of Jack's coat, but he heard them. "I didn't think there'd ever be someone like me... in the NHL..."

"Oh, well-- um--" Jack patted the boy's back. "Bits?"

"What happened?" Kelleigh dropped her stick and hurried over. "Is he hurt?"

"No, I'm..." Blaine let go of Jack and faced his sister and their friends. "I'm... gay."

"...And you just figured this out now? Or...?" Darren voiced the confusion of the group.

"No, but Zimm--" Blaine stopped mid-sentence, unsure if he was allowed to share what Jack had told him moments before. "Uh..."

"I'm his boyfriend." Bitty skated over to Jack's side with a smile, and gave the teenager a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"What!? Ew! Blaine!" Kelleigh protested. "He's like 25 years old, that's so gross!"

Bitty winced at being called old and gross, and resisted the urge to point out that he was still only 24 years old. "No, I'm Jack's boyfriend. This guy. My age-appropriate, fellow adult." He linked his arm with Jack's and they shared another smile.

"What? No way! How'd I miss that news?" 

"Oh, uh, it's-- it hasn't been news, um, yet." Jack blushed lightly. "Yet."

"Ohhh!"

"What about you?" Travis gave Blaine a light shove in the shoulder. "Do you... have a boyfriend?"

"Oh, no. I-- I haven't even told anyone until like, right now... Are you guys okay with it?"

"Of course, bro." Darren fist bumped him, and Kelleigh gave him a hug.

Blaine looked nervously over at his best friend, Travis. "We good?"

"Yeah, man." He pulled Blaine in for a lingering hug. Travis finally let go and cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. "Hey, so, are we playing hockey here or what?"

"Yeah!"

"Can we trade for the blonde guy, though? Zimmermann's turning out to be a dud."

"Haha!" Jack let out a hearty laugh, negating Bitty's instinct to get offended on his behalf. 

"Like. Zimmermann. Dude. I get that you're injured, but like... your boyfriend is kicking our asses. Pull it together, bro."

"Haha, I'll try." Jack nudged Bitty away and pretended to get serious. "I'm keeping my eye on you, Bittle."

"I should hope so, Mr. Zimmermann." Bitty winked at him.

They played until an alarm went off on Darren's phone, signaling that he and Kelleigh had to leave for something at his grandmother's house. They parted ways and the other teenagers began to pack up their gear. 

Jack went to return the rented sticks and Bitty shoved his hands deep into his pockets to warm his frozen fingers. "Thanks for letting us play with y'all today. I hope you boys had fun."

"Even though you beat us?"

"Yes." Bitty chuckled.

"Yeah, it was still a lot of fun," Travis said. "We're here most Sundays if you ever want to play again. My big brother plays sometimes too, so you won't be like the one creepy dude hanging around a group of teenagers."

"Oh, good. Yeah, maybe."

"You can bring Zimmermann too, if he's free," Blaine said. "But please be on our team."

"Wow, I wish kids were this willing to hang out with me back when I was in high school." Bitty laughed.

"Ready to go, Bits?" Jack asked as he skated up.

"Oh yes, honey. I can't feel my fingers anymore my hands are so cold."

"When we get back to my place I'll warm you right up." Jack's grin faltered when Bitty's eyes widened. "The cocoa! Obviously. Wow, Bittle. Get your mind out of the gutter."

Bitty's face was bright red as he started pushing Jack towards the benches. "Wow, we really should be going. See you around, guys. Good luck!"

"Haha. Bye! Good game today, boys!"

Bitty smiled as they skated away, listening to the sound of Travis awkwardly suggesting a trip to Dunkin Donuts together with Blaine on their own ways home. "Lord, that's not something I ever got to experience," he told Jack with a chuckle as they changed out of their skates.

"What?"

"You picked up on that, right?"

"Um..."

"I'll tell you when we get to the car. No good airing out other people's business in public." Bitty fumbled to untie his laces with his numb fingertips. "Good lord, you're done already, aren't you?" 

Jack slung his skates over his shoulder, indeed already in his boots. "Need some help there, bud?" He knelt down in front of Bitty and grabbed both of his hands, holding them between his own. "Wow, you are cold."

"I wouldn't lie to you," Bitty said with a laugh. "How are your hands so warm?"

"I don't know. It's not that cold out today."

"Pfft!" Bitty pulled his hands free to get back to undoing his first skate, slipping his foot into his boot as soon as he got it free. "Chirp all you want, Mr. Zimmermann. I'd like to see how you'd fair in the heat of a humid Georgian summer."

"Is that an invitation?"

Bitty hadn't intended it to be, but seeing Jack give him a little grin made his heart skip a beat. "Maybe. We'll see if you're sick of me by the off-season or not."

"That seems impossible -- you're the most interesting guy I've ever met."

"Charmer." Bitty went to attempt the knot in the laces of his second skate, only to realize that Jack had untangled it for him while he had been tying up his booth. "Or 'Prince Charming', perhaps?"

"Your fleece-lined slipper..." Jack presented Bitty with his second boot, making him laugh.

It was then that the boys from before walked by, exchanging small waves with Jack and Bitty without stopping their conversation. "My sister even posted the video in her story. Don't you follow her? So fucking embarrassing. I almost wish it was a cold sore, but it's..."

Bitty quickly finished tying his second boot and smiled at Jack. "All set. Let's go back to your place." He slipped his skates into his bag and stood up, immediately being caught up in a kiss from Jack. "What was that one for?"

"Nothing, just happy you're here."

"I'm happy you're here too, but... I'd be even happier if we were both inside your nice warm car." Bitty patted his chest. "So let's go!"

Jack laughed and trotted after Bitty to his SUV. He unlocked the doors at Bitty reached it ahead of him. "It's already started, hopefully your seat is warm."

"Ohh that's the stuff!" Bitty nestled against the heated seat and tucked his hands underneath him to warm his fingers quicker.

"What were you going to tell me?" Jack asked as he sat down in the driver's seat and closed the door behind him.

"Oh." Bitty laughed. "It was those boys. I hope they figure things out between the two of them."

"Hm?"

"The first boy came out and the second obviously has a crush on him. Didn't you pick up on it? The asking if he already had a boyfriend, that long hug, the repeated assurances that he didn't have a cold sore, the asking to go for hot chocolate to talk about things." Bitty sighed happily. "I was so much older than them when I got to experience all of that."

"The other kid too? Aw." Jack smiled. "I didn't notice all that."

"Is it bad if I'm a little jealous?"

"Of those boys?"

"The experience, at least. I didn't come out 'til college, so everything was all drinking and parties and assumptions. High school me could only dream about sneaking around with a cute boy and making out in his car after hockey practice."

"It's not that great, if that makes you feel better."

Bitty gasped dramatically. "Mr. Zimmermann! Do you have sneaky stories about running around with hockey boys?"

Jack laughed. "Well, yeah, one boy... but we were also into the drinking and the parties and uh, other things, so I don't think it really fits with your cute teenaged dream."

"Hm... maybe not."

"If you want we can crawl into the back seat and make out a bit? I bet I'll like it more with you," Jack offered with a grin.

"And I'll bet that you have a big comfy bed that is even nicer to make out in... among other things."

"Yeah?"

"Mmhm. There are some perks to being a grown up, after all." Bitty leaned over and kissed him. "Back seats are overrated."

"Agreed." Jack laughed and started to drive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're hurrying home to drink cocoa, obviously.


	11. Chapter 11

Jack pressed a kiss to Bitty's temple. "Not that I have any complaints about what we just did -- _at all_ \-- but I think I was supposed to make you some hot cocoa to warm you up after that skate."

"I think this was a bit more satisfying than a cup of cocoa."

"You say that now, but..." Jack trailed off and kissed a path down Bitty's neck to his shoulder. He forgot what he was saying along the way. "Fuck, you were so hot out there on the ice..."

Bitty laughed and looked up at the bedroom ceiling while Jack's lips roamed. "You think so? I felt pretty darn cold," he teased. Bitty guided Jack's kisses back up to his lips, too spent in the moment to go for round two quite yet. "But you did a very good job of warming me up, sweetheart."

"Oh yeah?"

"_Very_ good."

"Haha. You deserve an A+ yourself, Bits."

"Too bad I can't transfer those credits. My GPA in college could have used that boost." Bitty chuckled. "...Probably for the best that I didn't have any professors willing to do that, actually. In the long run, at least."

"Haha. Probably."

Bitty stifled a yawn. "Lord, am I ever tired. You sure know how to tucker a guy out, honey."

Jack also stifled a yawn. "I could say the same for you..." He pulled Bitty in close and wrapped him up into a spooning position, then carefully tucked the blankets around him to ensure he would be warm. "We could stay like this for a bit."

Bitty chuckled at the suggestion, given that Jack had all but made that decision already. "We still have that baking to do..."

"My schedule is wide open all day, so I don't see why we can't have a little nap before that. Do you have anything planned for tonight?"

"Nope. I'm all yours."

Jack kissed his hair. "Good. We can be nice and refreshed for the baking lesson."

"You don't have to worry about that so much. It's really nothing you need to try too hard with."

"But it's something you enjoy. Of course I'm going to pay close attention."

"Oh, honey."

"And I was also thinking that if I can get the hang of it, maybe I could bring it to the Falcs holiday party. Or-- It's not like an old family recipe or something, right? Is it okay if I make it?"

Bitty chuckled and kissed the back of Jack's hand. "No, sweetpea, it's not a problem. It think it's a wonderful idea."

"Thanks, Bits." Jack nuzzled Bitty's hair and adjusted his arm so that they were both comfortable. "Hey, so I was thinking about-- Bits? Haha oh wow, you were really tired, eh? Okay, we'll talk later, bud."

*** 2 hours later ***

Bitty awoke to the feeling of Jack crawling back into bed. "Hm?"

"Wake up, I have a surprise for you." Jack gently shook Bitty's shoulder with his... elbow? That didn't seem right.

But it was. Bitty sat up and wiped the sleep from his eyes. "Jack? What are-- _oh!_"

Jack handed Bitty a mug of steaming hot cocoa, then used his free hand to pull a fleece throw blanket over to drape around Bitty's shoulders. "Thought this might warm you up some more."

"Thank you, sweetheart. This is very cozy. Ooh! And _delicious!_" 

"Secret family recipe," Jack replied. He was beaming at the thought of Bitty with his many talents for food and drink enjoying something he made, but his mischievous side also delighted in keeping the secret. "I'll never tell."

Bitty scoffed a little shocked laugh and snuggled up against Jack's side. "Never?"

"Family members only. So, unless you're thinking of proposing after only three dates..." Jack grinned.

"I'm considering it," Bitty teased back, delighting in how proud of himself Jack looked. Instead of proposing marriage, Bitty gave him a kiss and continued sipping the hot cocoa.

"So... I've been thinking about something," Jack began, circling back to what he had started to say earlier when Bitty fell asleep. "That kid today. When he hugged me..."

"Mmhm?"

"I know I said before how I wanted to just treat this as a regular relationship if people ask about you and all that, and I still do, but... I didn't really think about how much it means to other people. He gave me this big hug and said he didn't think he'd ever see someone like him in the NHL. It..." Jack sighed, unable to think of the right words to convey how he was feeling.

"Oh, honey." Bitty changed hands with his mug so that he could give Jack's hand a supportive squeeze. "If you want to make a more public announcement, I understand."

"I _really_ don't want to mix you up in all the media stuff. I could try just saying that I have a boyfriend without saying your name..." Jack frowned.

"You don't look confident about that plan."

"I'm not," Jack admitted. "In my experience, my private life usually doesn't get to stay very private."

"But..." Bitty gently prodded Jack to continue.

"But as much as I want to avoid the media circus that it will probably cause, I-- If I can help even _one_ more kid feel a little less alone out there... I feel like that would be worth it."

"You don't owe it to anyone to come out publicly, you know that right?"

"No, I know."

"_But_ if that is something you truly want to do, then absolutely you should."

"What about you? This involves you too."

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself," Bitty said with a laugh, but Jack still looked concerned. Bitty took a deep breath. "Okay. If I'm being completely honest?"

"Please."

"I feel like Blaine does. I really didn't think I'd ever see an out player in the NHL, at least not anytime soon. My so-called 'career' in hockey was unconventional to say the least -- I went from a co-ed team in high school to a college team at the #1 LGBTQ-friendly university in the country... and it was _still_ a struggle to be myself sometimes. Even there, some of my teammates didn't feel comfortable enough to come out -- a lifetime of being in that 'traditional' hockey environment was too toxic to overwrite."

"Yeah, I've known guys like that too," Jack agreed sadly.

Bitty took another sip of his hot cocoa before setting the mug down on the nightstand. "Why don't we continue this conversation while we bake? Those apples aren't going to peel themselves." 

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, okay. I'll get things set up while you finish getting dressed." He gave Bitty a kiss on the cheek and left the room.

Bitty looked around and noticed his clothes were neatly folded at the foot of the bed. How did someone like Jack Zimmermann even exist? They were small gestures, but very thoughtful nonetheless. Jack woke up early from their nap and collected Bitty's discarded clothing from the floor, carefully folded it, then quietly left to make him hot chocolate. Bitty shook his head and chuckled in disbelief. "Honestly..." 

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Jack was packing around with his phone in his hand, double checking the list of ingredients Bitty had sent him the day before. He added what he already had in his kitchen to the additional items Bitty had brought over with him that morning. "Measuring spoons..." Jack said to himself as he searched through the drawers. 

"Measuring spoons?" Bitty asked as he rounded the corner from the hallway, an amused grin on his face.

"I know I have them somewhere, I just don't know which one of these draw-- ah! Found 'em."

Bitty walked around the counter and placed both hands on Jack's cheeks, gently pulling him down for a kiss. "You're wonderful."

Jack's cheeks tinted pink and he chuckled awkwardly. "What?"

"You're wonderful, and sweet, and very _very_ thoughtful. Thank you."

"Oh. Um, you're welcome?"

Bitty snickered and picked up his mug from the counter to finish the last sip. "So, let's start with getting some bowls. We can't be mixing ingredients right on the counter now can we?"

"Haha yeah, maybe not." Jack grabbed a couple large mixing bowls, hoping that Bitty wouldn't be able to somehow tell that he had only bought them the day before. "So, about what we were talking about before..."

"Oh, yes honey. Please go on."

"Oh, well, I really just wanted your opinion about what to do. You've done this before. Well, not in the NHL, but it was still pretty big news, right? First out NCAA men's hockey captain? That's a big deal."

"You researched me, huh?" Bitty chuckled.

"Oh. Uh, not intentionally. Or-- I was looking up that video Thirdy found the other day, then there was a related video of another goal so I watched that, then there was an interview so I checked it out and they asked you about it in that one." Jack frowned slightly. "Sorry."

"Oh sweetheart, you don't have to _apologize_. I don't mind. In fact, that gets a lot of explaining out of the way for me." Bitty gave him a reassuring nudge. "First things first -- do your parents know?"

"About you? Yeah, of course."

"About _me?_ I meant if they knew you were bisexual -- you've told them about **_me?_**"

"Yeah, my dad called me yesterday and I told him." Jack noticed Bitty's shock and snickered. "It's okay, my parents already knew that I'm bi. I told them when I was 19, in the aftermath of my OD and everything. I had been keeping a lot of stuff bottled up, and after that with rehab and therapy... I finally learned it was okay to talk about things with them. And my dad, he-- uh, well-- I shouldn't really get into the whole thing, but he's really learned how to communicate since that happened. We both have. So, uh, yeah, he calls at least once a week just to talk and see what I've been doing."

"And you said 'I've been doing Eric Bittle,' hm?"

Jack laughed. "Well, not like _that_. Haha, **_wow_**. No, but I said that I met someone. He could already tell something was up -- he said I sounded happier than last week."

"Oh lord we haven't even known each other for a full week yet." Bitty laughed at how absurd it was. "I feel like I've known you for years."

"Yeah, same here." Jack smiled. "So I told him that your name was Eric, and that you played hockey in college--"

"--Of _course_ you did."

"Haha, yeah. I also told him that you own a cool bar and that we went on that creepy museum date."

"What did he think about that?"

"He said 'and he still agreed to date you? Marry him.' Haha."

Bitty blushed. "Oh my lord..."

"He's like that, though. My parents only dated for three months I think before my dad proposed. And they got married within a year."

"So you come by it honestly, huh?" Bitty teased.

"My mom always said 'when you know, you know' but I..." Jack sighed. "Is it bad that I got engaged before and didn't really know? I _thought_ I knew..."

"I've thought I've known my share of things before too."

"Well, I know better _now_, that's for sure."

Bitty smiled. "Me too, I hope."

"So--"

"--Apples!" 

"Oh. I was going to ask about how it felt when you became the first out captain..."

"Oh! Right, yes. Well, let's do both. I'll peel and you dice while I chatter away. We'll never get this pie made otherwise. Interrupt me if you have any questions, okay? Promise me that."

"I promise." 

"Okay, well--" Bitty began peeling the first apple quickly but carefully. "It may have been 'big' news, but still only within hockey. I got some attention for it, but it was mostly just a few interviews and getting recognized around campus a bit more. I'm not sure I can fathom the kind of stir you will cause. There's bound to be some jerks out there, but I have an unfortunate feeling that you're used to that already."

"Yeah, pretty much."

"The thing is, the people it matters too? It will matter to them **_a lot_**. I got letters and messages from kids across the country asking what my team was like and how my parents reacted, and if it was really okay if they were queer hockey players too. I was just some college kid who was procrastinating on his thesis, yet I somehow made these scared kids feel a little less lonely. But seeing you do it? One of the biggest names in the NHL? That's a game-changer, Jack."

"I think I'm gonna do it. Maybe after the holidays, though. I can talk things out with my parents at Christmas, and George and the team once I'm back playing again, and you and I can figure out a plan about what to do if people get too nosy with your life."

"If you need more time than that, you can take as much as you want. Don't rush this just because of what I said."

"No, I know. I won't..." Jack let out a soft groan as he debated whether to say the next part. "I should probably talk it through with my therapist too."

Bitty nodded as he continued to peel the last apple. "True. A big change like that might need an outside perspective." Jack didn't respond, so Bitty set the apple down and looked up at him. "Jack? Everything okay?"

"Yeah. No, yeah, I-- I guess I expected you to react to that somehow. It doesn't bother you?"

"What? The therapist thing? Lord no. Frankly, from even the sparse details you've shared with me already, I'd be more concerned if you weren't seeking some help to work through it. It's the healthier choice to make, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Jack smiled. "You don't think I'm crazy, or some whiny rich brat or anything?"

"Of course not. Having famous parents doesn't mean you had a perfect life. Lord, I had a hard enough time some days growing up the son of the high school football coach -- I can only imagine what it was like in the shadow of _your_ parents. I'm just happy you made it here now, however winding the road was that led you here."

"Thanks, Bits."

"Anytime, sweet-- oh damn it!" Bitty sword as he spotted the bag of flour on the counter. "I forgot that I didn't pre-make the pie crust. I was debating all day yesterday whether or not to do it because as a beginner it might be less daunting for you to go with store-bought the first few tries."

"Oops, haha. Okay so now what do we do?"

"Now I suppose I'm going to show you how to make a pie crust from scratch and we're going to eat all these chopped up apples before they get all brown. We can start all over again after the dough chills." Bitty groaned. "I'm so sorry about this, Jack. I'm usually much more organized than this -- with baking, at least."

"You're apologizing but I'm just happy for an excuse to spend more time with you."

"Charmer." Bitty took a deep breath in and out before assessing the situation and which steps were needed. "Okay. We've got this."

*** Two Hours Later ***

"Is it okay if I take a picture of it? Is it embarrassing?" Jack asked before Bitty could slice into the pie.

"Are you asking if the pie is embarrassing or if taking a photo is embarrassing? Because the pie looks wonderful, and if you followed me on instagram you wouldn't worry about me judging you for taking pictures of baked goods."

"Oh yeah, I don't know your name on there. Can you find you for me?" Jack unlocked his phone and handed it over to Bitty. 

Bitty laughed and opened instagram. "Am I going to find anything incriminating if I open your DMs?" He teased.

"My what?"

"Your messages."

Jack chuckled. "Can't everyone see those already?"

Bitty stared at him in pure confusion, and Jack did the same. "...Are you thinking of comments?"

"Oh! Haha. Yeah. Those aren't the messages you meant?"

"No, honey. Your messages are in the top corner, where that little arrow thing is. I'm not actually going to tap it because I was only kidding about going in there, but you should probably check those every so often." 

"Will do." Jack chuckled as Bitty handed his phone back. "Oh wow, you weren't kidding around about the baking photos."

"Hush."

"And some very cute selfies. Is it okay if I write a message on one of these?"

Bitty laughed. "Yes, you may comment on my posts." His phone buzzed a moment later with what Bitty assumed was a Instagram notification, but was quickly followed by a series of rapid buzzing. "Well that was-- what on earth?"

"Only one of those is me," Jack clarified as he focused on taking a photo of his inaugural attempt at maple apple pie.

Bitty hurried over to his phone to find the SMH group chat going wild. He scrolled up to find out what the commotion was all about, which was a selfie of Ransom and Holster with a caption underneath. "**_WHAT!?_**" Bitty shrieked.

Satisfied with how his picture turned out, Jack sliced into the pie. "Everything okay?"

Bitty was texting away rapidly on his phone. "Yeah, my friends-- Remember in the bar when you brought me the funeral bou-- WHAT!? **_Three_** years??? What is even happening right now?!!"

Jack chuckled. "You've got me stumped there, bud."

"Sorry, I--" Bitty put his phone in his pocket and took a deep breath to calm down. "Two of my friends -- Ransom and Holster -- just announced that they're engaged."

"Those are the guys I met the morning I brought you flowers?"

"Yes!"

"Oh? That's nice. Good for them." Jack smiled and handed Bitty a slice of the pie. Bitty still looked dumbstruck by the news. "...Right?"

"It is, it's-- I'm not _unhappy_ for them--" Bitty stumbled through articulating his thoughts has his voice got higher and more strained. "But it's-- Ugh! _THEY'RE NOT EVEN **DATING, **JACK!_" He shouted as the excitement and confusion officially bubbled over in his brain.

"Are you sure? Seemed like it to me." Jack gently guided Bitty over to the couch. 

Maybe he was misremembering it, but Jack was pretty sure the Canadian one had casually mentioned he shared a bed with the loud one. Jack made a mental note to learn which of Bitty's friends was Ransom and which was Holster the next time they met. 

"THEY'RE-- Sorry, I'll use my inside voice." Bitty blushed and took a few more calming breaths. "It's complicated. They live together, and were dating once upon a time... but Holster found out about his son so they put everything on hold while figuring out the whole fatherhood thing. As of Friday they were both worried that everything was over... I guess they figured things out?"

Jack smiled. "Sounds like it."

"I love them both _so_ much so of course I'm happy for them, but I was expecting dating news, not engagement news. I'm still in shock."

"When's the wedding?" Jack asked jokingly. 

Bitty scrolled through his chat history. "Oh, I doubt they've figured-- **_FEBRUARY 8TH?!_** That's barely over **_TWO_** MONTHS AWAY! JACK!!!"

Jack winced slightly at the noise. "I-- I don't know what you want me to say?"

"Oh, oh sweetpea, I'm sorry. This news broke my brain a little. I'll put my phone away."

"No, I get it. It's big unexpected news..." Jack smiled, but glanced nervously down at the plate in his hands.

Bitty followed his eyeline and realized Jack was glancing at his un-tasted pie slice. "Oh! I didn't-- honey, why do you look so nervous? The pie turned out great!" He made a point of taking a bite and saw Jack's shoulders relax.

"It's probably not up to your usual standards..."

Bitty touched Jack's leg. "I've been baking since I was basically old enough to stand -- _please_ don't feel like you have to be an expert on your very first try. This is delicious. It turned out wonderfully."

"Yeah?" Jack smiled a little wider and finally took a bite. "I was so worried I'd messed up your nice recipe somehow."

"Well, you didn't -- but even if you had, that's what learning is for. You make mistakes and then you learn from them, right?"

"Yeah." Jack leaned forward and rested his forehead on Bitty's shoulder. "Thanks, Bits."

Bitty realized he still didn't know Jack well enough to understand why those words seemed to mean so much to him, but he kissed the top of Jack's head and stroked his hair. "I... Surely, I'm not the first person to tell you it's okay to make mistakes?"

"No, but... it might be one of the first times I've really _listened_, ya know? My parents say stuff like that, but they're my parents -- they're supposed to say that."

"You don't think boyfriends are supposed to say that too?"

Jack chuckled. "Maybe... but I know you mean it."

"I _absolutely_ mean it." Bitty finished eating his slice of pie and set the plate down on the coffee table as his cell phone started buzzing again.

"You can check your phone, I won't be offended," Jack assured him.

Bitty hesitated for about five seconds before snatching his phone off the table. "I'll try not to shout in your ear this time."

"Haha, thanks." Jack put his arm around him, but Bitty had a different idea, choosing instead to slide down onto his side on the couch and use Jack's lap as a pillow. "Comfy, bud?"

"Very." Bitty helped himself to the fleece throw blanket on the back of the couch and pulled it down on top of himself. "Even better now."

Jack snickered and turned on the TV. "I think the Vegas game just started. Mind if I watch it while you soak in that engagement news?"

"Of course not, sugar. This is your house."

"You sure about that? You seem to have made yourself at home," Jack chirped.

"You got a problem with that, Mr. Zimmermann?" Bitty asked, pretending to be offended.

"Not at all."

The game was on a commercial break so Bitty took the opportunity to speak. "Can I just say that I'm shocked that they got engaged?"

"Really? Never woulda guessed..." Jack teased.

"Oh, hush. Ransom bought a ring three years ago. THREE! He never said a word to anybody about it. I've know that boy my entire adult life -- he's never been good at keeping his own secrets."

"I thought you said they weren't dating."

"They weren't! Now do you understand why I'm so--"

"Shocked?" Jack finished his sentence.

"Yes! I'm shocked. This is shocking. I mean-- I guess they were dating back then... but it hadn't been for very long. Although I _suppose_ they were already best friends and had been basically inseparable since the day they met... And when they moved out here together it was a pretty big step..." Bitty paused. "Okay I'm less shocked about it now that I think about it in it's entirety."

"Haha."

"Okay, Rans said he bought the ring about a month after they moved here, so that's more like two and a half-- oops! Your game is back on."

"It's okay, we can still talk while the game is on. A buddy of mine is probably gonna score his 1000th point today, so I'm just watching for that and to see if they do a little story on him in between periods." 

"Does this 'buddy' happen to be Kent Parson?" Bitty looked up from his phone. 

"Haha yeah. We've known each other since we were kids. Well, not kid kids, but we met in the Q."

"I can't believe you know Kent Parson. He's like, the biggest star in the NHL!"

"I mean, I also play in the NHL..." Jack grinned.

"I know, sweetheart. You're a very big star, but... to me you just feel like _Jack_. Maybe it will hit me differently when I see you on TV, but right now you're my sweet, handsome boyfriend who got his ass kicked at shinny by teenagers this afternoon."

Jack guffawed. "I'm still injured!"

"You keep saying that but you seem to be moving those arms around just fine so I'm not sure I'm buying this whole 'bum shoulder' business," Bitty teased.

Jack laughed. "_Wow_. You come into my home, eat my pie, drink my cocoa, _then_ call me a liar?" 

"I also had my way with you," Bitty added. 

"I definitely haven't forgotten about that."

"Oh really? Because my mind is a little fuzzy. I might need you to jog my memory again after this game is over."

"I could probably help you out there..."

"I sure hope so. Lord knows I'll be too tired to move tomorrow after all that skating catches up to me."

"Oh? Haha."

"Quiet. Not all of us can be professional athletes, you know?"

"You could have. I know it was just shinny today, but you still showed a lot of skill. And with the clips I've seen from your college days, I can't believe you never got scouted."

"I never said I _didn't_. There was some interest, but..." Bitty shrugged his shoulders as best he could while lying down. "I love hockey, really, but that wasn't enough for me. It was one thing to play on my safe team at Samwell. I didn't want to be drafted as some novelty for whatever team wanted the bragging rights of snagging the first out player. Besides, I had other things I wanted to do with my life."

"Like owning the bar?" Jack asked.

"I--" Bitty sighed. "Not exactly, but I'm still happy with my choices."

Jack smiled softly. "If you could do anything -- what would it be?"

"I suppose I wouldn't mind travelling a little. I've never been out west, never even left the country."

"How does Montréal sound? It's not really exotic, but my parents would be more than happy to meet you at Christmas."

"Oh, honey. My mama would lose her mind if I suddenly told her I wasn't coming down for Christmas with less than a month to go." Bitty looked up at Jack's slightly disappointed face. "Maybe some other time? During the off season, if..." Bitty left the rest of the sentence unsaid.

"Off-season sounds good. Not sure I can keep my parents away for that long. They'll probably plan an 'impromptu' visit down here to meet you soon. My bet is before February is over, for sure."

"Oh lord, just to meet little ol' me? That's so much pressure-- What if they hate me?"

"They'll love you because I-- uh, like you a lot. Haha, oh boy." Jack's face went red.

Bitty decided to let that slide. "If you say they'll like me then I believe you, but just know that I've never met any boyfriend's parents before so if I embarrass you or myself..."

"They're not scary, I promise."

"You say that like 'Bad Bob' isn't your dad's nickname," Bitty joked.

"You're going to be so confused when you meet him. He's a bit of a goofball, if anything. And my mom is so excited that you went to Samwell like she did." Jack chuckled. "I'm not worried for a second about you embarrassing me, but _them...?_"

Bitty snickered and cuddled up a little closer. With one final scroll to catch up on his group text, he put his phone down on the coffee table and turned his head towards the TV. "So we're rooting for the Aces this game, huh?"

"Yeah, usually. Unless my team is playing them." Jack idly played with Bitty's soft blond hair as he watched the screen. "I almost played for them, you know? I mean-- well, maybe if I'd been in the draft that year and gone ahead of Parse, yeah-- but also when things were going all to hell last year. He tried talking some of the higher ups to trade for me, but the organization didn't think I was worth the risk. The Falcs did, though."

"I'm very glad the Falcs did that."

"Ha, me too."

"And you're sure you want to cheer for the team that thought you were too risky?" Bitty asked.

"Well, Kenny, at least." Jack cleared his throat. "We were, uh, pretty close when we were younger. But don't worry, okay? We're only friends now."

Bitty crinkled his nose. "Why would I worry? It's nice that you're still friends."

"Yeah, but-- that's all, okay? I promise."

"Okay?"

"And he's dating someone now too, but he's been keeping pretty quiet about it so far."

"That's nice. Everyone is entitled to their privacy."

Jack nodded even though Bitty was watching the TV and couldn't see it. "Yeah. I just wanted to make sure you knew that I wasn't like, still pining for him or something. That's all way in the past."

That got Bitty's attention. "Oh, sweetheart! Did you have an unrequited crush back when you were teenagers? You don't have to worry about me being jealous of something like that."

"It was, uh-- it wasn't exactly unrequited?"

"Oh? _Ohhh!_" 

Jack squirmed a little, nervous to outright say it, even though he had cleared it with Parse the day before. "Yeah, so... that first kinda-boyfriend I had when I was a teenager? It's um, him."

"Oh wow. I had no idea-- I won't repeat that to anyone, I promise," Bitty quickly assures him.

"I know. And I texted him yesterday to check if he was good with me telling you who he was. He said it was okay. He's been going back and forth with the idea of coming out publicly, but he's undecided. I think if I go first he might not be too far behind."

"Oh wow. Two of the biggest names in the NHL coming out in quick succession..." Bitty contemplated out loud. 

"Look who suddenly remembered I'm a hockey star..." Jack teased.

"Shush. I'm _aware_ you're famous, Jack. I just know you in a better way than that."

"Sit up for a sec."

"Hm? Is my head too heavy?" Bitty had barely sat up before Jack was pulling him in for a kiss. Bitty broke away with a laugh. "You really like it when I say stuff like that, huh?"

"Oh, uh..."

"You're just some _random _dude I met in a bar..." Bitty began as he straddled Jack's lap. "You're a promising novice baker, make delicious hot cocoa, and give _amazing_ blow jobs... but other than that? Meh."

Jack nuzzled his head against Bitty's chest and laughed. "Thanks, Bittle."

"Anytime, sugar."

He had just started trailing little kisses up Bitty's neck when Kent Parson's name was said on the television. Jack froze. "Eugh..."

"This is bad timing, isn't it?"

"Yeah it feels a little weird."

Bitty gave him a peck on the lips and climbed off his lap, snuggling up against his side when Jack gladly put an arm around his shoulders. "Do you want some of the blanket? Are you cold?"

"Haha, I'm good." Jack tugged the blanket around Bitty. "Is this one not warm enough? Maybe I should have bought bigger one."

"Jack I-just-realized-I-don't-know-your-middle-name Zimmermann! Did you buy this blanket because of me?"

"It's Laurent, and yes. You get cold a lot, right? Also my mom said that throwing blankets on the couch or bed are like, a design thing, and I've been trying to make this place seem... I dunno, actually lived in?"

Bitty snickered at the idea of Jack simply tossing fleece blankets around his apartment in the name of interior design and warm boyfriends. "Mm. 'Lived in' is nice."

"You're not mad I bought you stuff? 'Cuz this morning--"

"Oh, sweetpea, no. That-- this is a very thoughtful gesture. That stuff I said this morning? It was more about the grand gifts. Thinking of me while you furnish your apartment is sweet. And maybe-- like, if we go for dinner somewhere, or to another _ghastly_ museum--" He cracked a grin as he spoke and Jack snickered. "--if I try to pay, **_let me_.**"

"I can do that," Jack said with confidence. "But in the meantime... Do you need a warmer blanket?"

"No, but I am tempted to go grab another slice of nice warm pie."

"I can get it for--"

"Sit. Watch your friend's game. Would you like me to grab you another slice while I'm up?"

Jack knew better than to go so astray from his meal plan, especially having seen first-hand the amount of honey and maple syrup that went into the making of that pie. "Maybe a small one?"

Bitty playfully ruffled Jack's hair as he got up and walked around the couch. He returned a few minutes later with both plates. "Here, honey."

"Thanks, Bits." Jack smiled as he took his plate. "So, you honestly like this?"

"Yes, Jack. I can safely say this is the best a first lesson has ever gone. Full disclosure -- most of my lessons have been with 20 year old frat boys who consider sriracha a basic food group." 

"Haha."

"But that being said, I'm delightfully surprised by how this pie turned out. You might have a knack for baking."

"I don't think I can take credit for that. You did most of the work, and I think my confection oven did the rest."

Bitty blinked, unsure if he had heard correctly. "Did you say _confection_ oven?"

"Yeah, that's what the realtor said. It must be pretty good for baking, eh?"

Bitty tried to hold it together when faced with his boyfriend's innocently confused smile but he couldn't stop the sudden burst of laughter. He collapsed in fit of giggles against Jack's shoulder.

"Huh?"

"It's _convection_, sweetheart. With a 'V'. Good lord, you're not allowed to be this adorable, Jack. My heart can't take it."

"I'm adorable, eh?" Jack grinned.

"_Very_. My cute little baking boyfriend."

"Look in the mirror, bud."

"Gosh, you're cute." Bitty kissed him, but Jack broke away laughing. "What?"

"I don't think I've ever been called cute or adorable in my life."

"Well frankly that's impossible, because you are."

"Haha."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter skips about a week!


	12. Chapter 12

The week that followed flew by and suddenly the Falconers' holiday party was upon them. Jack had begun the process of coming out, first discussing it with his still new teammates at practice, then George and the Falcs PR team. The news was received better than Jack had anticipated, which he attributed mainly to the influence of George, Thirdy, and Marty.

A tentative plan was put in place to deal with whatever media fallout would occur. Jack was fielding and making more calls than he had since the day he was first signed combined, or at least that was how it felt. 

The original plan had been to wait until after Christmas to start the whole process, but once Jack had set his mind to it, it was difficult to delay the process. He had healed well and was already rid of the no-contact jersey during practice. He was feeling more comfortable with his new team -- allowing himself to be comfortable with them. Jack already felt a world apart from the closed-off man that first stepped foot in the Falcs locker room before his injury. That old Jack would have been dreading a team holiday party, but most of that anxiety melted away as he glimpsed Bitty leaving his apartment building with two carefully balanced trays. 

Jack hopped out of his SUV and opened the door to the back seat. "Let me help you with those, Bits."

"No, honey that's not necessary. I brought this on myself."

"Oh?"

"I made way too much food, per usual."

Jack chuckled. They hadn't been together for long enough yet to know this "usual" for a fact, but he felt he could probably take Bitty's word on it. "I told you that you didn't need to bring anything, right?"

"You did, but--" Bitty carefully set the trays down on the floor of the back seat so that they wouldn't shift around during the drive, then promptly hopped into the passenger seat, pleasantly surprised to find the seat warmer already on its maximum setting. He waaited as Jack trotted around the front of the car to the driver's seat and climbed in.

"Sorry, you were saying?"

"So, I know you said I didn't have to bring anything, but I thought to myself 'maybe I'll whip up a quick batch of macarons' because who doesn't like macarons?"

"Haha."

"But halfway through baking I realized -- 'Eric Richard Bittle you complete buffoon! Almond flour!' I don't know about anyone's allergies -- what if your entire team is allergic to nuts? I'm basically bringing a big batch of poison!"

"That's... not probable. I doubt the entire team has a nut allergy, Bits." Jack snickered.

"Maybe not, but not impossible either. So I figured I might as well whip up some meringue cookies while I was at it, but just those two things looked silly when I compared the trays so I decided to make some petits fours. Then I realized that there would be kids there so maybe I should make some cookies but wouldn't you know it I went and made my nutella-stuffed chocolate chip cookies, which-- well, there I go with the nut allergies again. So then I made some sugar cookies to balance it out and that was an hour ago and now here we are."

"Didn't you work last night?"

"Yes."

"...Did you sleep last night?"

"I'll have you know that I got a very restful 2-3 hours before I woke up in that panic sweat about almond flour."

"Haha, aww. You really don't have to worry about these guys, okay? They're gonna love you. Marty has asked about you every day I've seen him this week. And Thirdy said Carrie's really excited that you passed along the recipe for that punch you made during the game."

"Oh gosh..."

"Between that punch and me bringing that pie... I wouldn't be surprised if everyone ended up bringing your recipes by this time next year." 

"You're funny."

"I'm serious. You're really good, Bits."

Bitty chuckled. "Maybe I should put out a cookbook."

"You should." Jack said, completely serious. Bitty laughed, but Jack continued. "Really. You could include some of your drink recipes in there too, like that maple one I like so much."

"You really like that one, huh?"

"It's about 90% why I started dating you," Jack chirped.

Bitty guffawed. "I see how it is."

"I'm kidding."

Bitty smiled. "I know, sweetheart."

"Hey, could I... stay at your place tonight? Is that okay?"

The question struck Bitty as odd, seeing as they had spent the night at each other's apartments multiple times already. He already assumed that they'd spend the night together at whichever apartment they ended up at after the party. "...Yes?"

"If you don't want me to, that's okay."

"No! I do want you to--" Bitty insisted. "I guess I'm a little confused as to why you felt you even had to ask? Maybe I shouldn't assume, but I thought we would be spending the night together already."

"I wanted to make sure, and... your apartment is nicer."

"Well that is objectively false," Bitty said with a laugh. 

"It's cozy. And you bed is really comfortable."

"That's true. My bed is amazing."

Jack grinned. "You're amazing."

"Just keep driving, Mr. Zimmermann," Bitty chirped.

"The other reason I asked--" Jack paused. "It looks like I'm gonna be cleared to play any day now. Maybe as soon as Thursday's game. So... that means I'll almost definitely be going on next week's roadtrip."

"Oh? Well, that's good, isn't it? You've been itching to play for a while now. And healing up is good."

"Yeah, but... it ends in Montréal right before the break so I'm probably just staying there until after Christmas."

"Oh."

"So I wanted to spend as much time together as we can before then."

"I like the sound of that."

They pulled up outside of Marty's house and fetched their food from the back seat. "I'm 90% sure this is the right house," Jack said as he picked up a bag from the seat.

"If we walk into a stranger's house at least we will be together when I die of embarrassment," Bitty quipped back. 

To their relief, it was the correct house. Gabrielle greeted them with a string of rapid-fire French directed at Jack that ended with a smile at Bitty and a wink at Jack before literally running away. "She said it was nice to meet us and she'll be right back but she's about to burn the house down? I think that was a joke and not, you know, a confession." Jack shrugged.

"We can only hope."

"She also said you were very cute."

Bitty blushed. "Oh lord..." 

"Also, everyone is downstairs so I guess we just bring the food down there? Let me check."

"Does she speak English?" Bitty whispered. "Should I say something in French? This is her house I don't want to be rude. But I also don't know any French."

Jack chuckled at that. "I think probably. They've lived here for a few years now at least, and unless she's from the country, she probably grew up with some--" Jack rounded the corner where Gabrielle had disappeared to and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Jack?" Bitty asked when he nearly collided with him. 

Jack inhaled a deep breath. "C'est une tourtière?" He asked Gabrielle as she shook off her oven mitts.

"Oui! C'est--" She stopped when she spotted Bitty behind him. "Yes, it is! Hello, sorry. I forgot my phone upstairs and almost missed the timer. I was running to take it out when you walked in the door. I'm Gabrielle St. Martin, it's nice to meet you." 

Bitty shook her hand. "I'm Eric Bittle, nice to meet you too."

Gabrielle noticed Jack still eyeing the meat pie and laughed. "I had to make it for tonight now that we finally have another Québecer on the team. Nice to see you again, Jack."

"Nice to see you. Um, where do we put the food?"

"You can bring that downstairs. I'll be down soon, Sébastien and the others will be happy to see you're here. Both of you."

Jack ventured down the staircase first and was greeted with a chorus of "heys" and "you finally made its" as he reached the bottom. Bitty paused on the second-last step and nudged him forward with a reassuring nudge.

Marty was there in an instant and pulled Jack into a one-armed hug before immediately discarding him for the sake of greeting Bitty. "The infamous Eric Bittle!"

"Infamous? Uh-oh." Bitty chuckled.

"Famous," Marty corrected himself. "Jack 'ere likes to talk about you."

Bitty quirked a smile at Jack. "Is that so?"

"I-- well, he was asking a lot of questions, too." Jack's cheeks flushed and Marty let out a hearty laugh. 

"That's true," Marty agreed. He spotted the covered trays in Bitty's hands and took them from him before Bitty could protest. "Let me grab those for ya, the food is set up over here."

Bitty exchanged a quick surprised glance with Jack before hurrying after Marty with a hop in his step to catch up with his baking. "Only one of those trays is nut-free, I wasn't sure if anyone had allergies. I have little signs to mark what everything is."

Jack chuckled and followed behind them to the table. "Does anyone have an allergy?"

Marty repeated the question loudly for the rest of the room to hear, and one woman raised her hand. "Oh, Andrea! Okay, one of these trays is for you." He waved her over. "This is Snowy's fiancee, Andrea. Snowy is...?"

"He's having a snowball fight with Tater and a bunch of the kids."

"Really? Is Matty with them?" Marty looked around, suddenly noticing the absence of his son.

"Yep! He's just sitting on the sidelines watching, but he seems to be enjoying himself." Andrea pointed out the young St. Martin sitting quietly in a snowbank with a front row seat as Tater hit Snowy directly in the face with a snowball.

"Looks like Mathieu is going to learn some new words today," Marty said with a laugh, knowing full well that the Falcs goalie was going to let at least one swear slip after that.

"Hopefully only a few," she replied.

"Andrea, have you met Jack before?" He continued his introductions, "and this is Eric, his..." Marty froze, unsure if he was allowed to say it outright.

"Boyfriend. He's my boyfriend. Eric, my boyfriend."

"Okay honey, I think she's got it." Bitty patted Jack's arm with a chuckle. "It's nice to meet you, Andrea."

"Same here." She smiled. "So, how do the two of you know each other again?"

"He's my boyf--"

Andrea laughed. "No, no, no, I'm just being a dick! I got it the first three times, I'm fucking with you."

"Oh? Haha."

"So, I hear I get an entire tray of desserts to myself. How do you know me so well, Jack's Boyfriend Eric?"

"To be fair, you might have to share with the others, but you get first dibs."

"Great! Now, I know being at these things as a new gir-- significant other can be intimidating as fuck, so--" she put an arm around Bitty's shoulder. "Just take a few deep breaths if you need to. Come find me, or Carrie -- Carrie's super bitchin' you'll love her -- or Gabby, but she's kinda frazzled with the hosting stuff so she wouldn't be my first choice today. Anyway, Carrie made this punch that's fucking delicious and I'm gonna grab a third cup and you should too. She said she learned to make it during the game last week, which, what the fuck? How?"

Bitty chuckled. "Oh, that was me. I met her at the game and improvised with what was available in the owner's box."

"Are you a wizard? If you're a wizard, you have to tell me."

"I'm a bartender."

"Bar owner," Jack clarified.

"Co-owner," Bitty clarified further. "Nobody really cares about that, honey."

"Why not? Owning your own business is a big deal. That's impressive!" Jack insisted.

"I'm in a room full of NHL players right now, 'impressive' has taken on a whole new meaning."

"I think you're very impressive. Dont sell yourself short, Bits."

"Goddammit you guys are cute. I'm gonna go get another drink and I'm taking a plate full of these desserts with me when I go just in case. Tater has such a fucking sweet tooth, I don't expect anything to be left when he gets in from that snowball fight." True to her word, Andrea loaded up her plate with nut-free desserts and wandered off.

Jack walked over to a clear spot on the food table and opened the bag he had been holding the whole time, much to Bitty's embarrassment. "Oh my-- I'm so sorry, honey. Making a big fuss over my dessert when here you went and made your first pie all on your own!" 

Jack chuckled. "It's okay, I think what you brought looks way nicer. Probably tastes better too."

"Now who's selling himself sh-- Um, Jack?" Bitty watched with mild horror as Jack pulled out a McDonald's bag. He removed two boxes of 20-piece mcnuggets, then reached into his pockets and proceeded to drop an assortment of dip packets onto the table beside them.

"I hope I got enough sauces."

"I-- I'm sure you did. What happened to the pie?"

"I brought that too," Jack hesitated as he removed it from his bag. "I think it's okay? It's a little darker than the one you made with me, but I caught it before it burned." 

"I'm sure it's--"

"Oh my god! Who brought chicken nuggets?" Carrie came over to say hello when she spotted them, but immediately got distracted by the new additions to the food table.

"Oh, that was me."

"Jack Zimmermann, I could kiss you right now -- but I'll settle on a hug if you're okay with that."

"Sure? Haha."

Carried wrapped him in a big hug. "My daughter is such a fussy eater and was NOT interested in anything, but she'll definitely go for nuggets."

Jack chuckled as she let go. "Yeah, I figured there'd be a bunch of kids, and I was pretty fussy at these things when I was little too."

Bitty peeked at the pie while Jack was busy and was pleased with how it looked. Assuming Jack followed the measurements correctly for the filling, he was sure it would be good. "He also made a pie!"

"Well aren't you a Jack-of-all-trades?" Carrie patted his shoulder and took a step towards the table where Bitty was putting the finishing touches on his dessert tray by adding little display cards signifying the flavours of each type. "Did you make all of those, Eric?"

"I did. I know, I went a little overboard."

"They look incredible. Eric Bittle, is there anything you can't do?"

"Make my father proud?" Bitty suggested.

"Well that's his loss." Carrie took a macaron from the tray and gave Bitty a reassuring pat on the shoulder as she went on her way.

Bitty blushed. "I shouldn't have said that father thing, I don't think she knew it was a joke." He turned to Jack. "I mean, it was rough there for a couple years... or decades -- but we're good now."

"That's good," Jack said as he casually slung an arm around Bitty's shoulder and planted a kiss against his temple. 

"If you want me to take--" Marty's voice said behind them unexpectedly, making Bitty jump.

"Oh, for the love of-- I'm so sorry! I forgot you were standing there." Bitty clutched his chest to make sure that his heart was still beating.

"Yeah, I'm pretty quiet sometimes." Marty smiled and shrugged. "So, if you want me to take you guys around to introduce you to some people, I'm happy to. Hosting duties, and all that."

Jack smiled, knowing that it wasn't strictly out of his duty as a host that Marty was making such an offer. A little extra show of support from the captain would hopefully keep the temptation of gossiping or comments at bay until after after the party at least. "Thanks, Marty."

"No problem, kiddo."

Marty guided them over to where a larger group of teammates and WAGs were standing. "Well, I guess you've already met Thirdy," he said with a chuckle.

"Eric Bittle! Nice to see you again, man." Thirdy immediately made a point of giving him a fist bump. "I'm glad you made it."

"Thank you. How's your back feeling?"

"As good as new!" Thirdy smiled until he heard Carrie clear her throat next to him. "Well, as good as it can be as a 35 year old in the NHL."

Marty began the other introductions, but had to excuse himself when he saw his son roll down the snowbank outside and start ambling his way towards the door while the snowball fight raged on. "Oh! Dad duty trumps host duty. I'll be right back."

Thirdy took over the introductions without missing a beat while Marty went off to begin the process of removing layers upon layers of winter clothing from his son. Jack chuckled at the sight, no longer a mystery as to what Gabby had been so busy with while her tourtière was overcooking earlier.

Jack tuned back in as Thirdy was finishing up the story of watching Bitty's Samwell video during the Falcs game where they met. "--and he owns that bar we-- Are those guys still having a snowball fight?" Thirdy looked around when he realized Snowy and Tater were not in earshot.

"Sorta," one of the teammates said and pointed outside. Snow was shaking the snow from his hair and on his way back in, but Tater was currently being clung to by at least four young children trying to drag him down into the snow. 

"Snowy, help me!" Tater could be heard saying as Snowy came inside and quickly shut the door behind him.

"Im sure he's fine." Snowy shrugged and kicked off his boots on the mat.

"Snowy! Come meet Jack's boyfriend! He owns that bar we went to!" Thirdy called over to him. Anyone else at the party who wasn't aware of Bitty's presence at the party or his existence as Jack's boyfriend now knew both facts.

Snowy carefully stepped around where Marty and Mathieu were still attempting to negotiate the toddler's snowpants and walked over. "Oh hey. I thought the fainting guy owned the bar."

Bitty smiled and extended his hand to Dustin Snow. "I should clarify -- I co-own it with a few of my friends. Ransom is a big fan of Alexei Mashkov, I think he got a little overwhelmed."

"Over fucking Tater?" Snowy laughed. "Oh god, don't tell him. That little fucker would be insufferable if he knew he made a fan pass out like he was the fucking Beatles or some shit." He looked down and noticed Bitty still had his arm extended to shake his hand. "Oh, fuck. Hey, you can call me Dustin. Or Snowy. Nice to meet you."

"Dude, there are kids here. Cool it with the f-bombs maybe," someone pointed out.

"All the kids are outside still. I sicced them on Tater after that motherfucker pelted me right in the face with a snowball. Did you guys see that?"

"Yeah," Andrea wandered up to the group with her coveted plate full of desserts. "It was fucking hilarious. Oh hey, Eric Bittle! We're bros now, it's cool," she added to the rest of the group. "These tiny cake things are fucking phenomenal."

Jack gave Bitty's shoulder a little squeeze. Bitty wasn't sure if it was meant as a comfort to him or Jack, but it helped either way. Bitty typically loved meeting people, but he could feel the eyes of the party on them at the moment and it was a little overwhelming. Jack knew at least half of the people in the room, but he wasn't sure if that made things easier for him or worse. Bitty reached up to touch Jack's hand on his shoulder and gave it a little squeeze back.

"So it's true, huh? I honestly thought you were joking when you told everyone you were bringing a dude to the Christmas party," Fitzgerald said out of the blue.

"We remember, Poots. Jesus Christ. Why bring that up now?" Snowy said with a roll of his eyes. "He laughed and we told him to fuck off immediately."

"Oh." It was honestly not nearly as bad as Bitty had heard before -- being the first gay captain in men's college hockey wasn't all pats on the back and fan mail -- but it had been a while since he felt like the butt of someone else's joke. "It's fine, really. I've heard so much worse," Bitty said with a smile.

"What? Did anyone else expect that to be his big announcement? Sorry, Zimmermann, but seriously. If anyone says they saw that whole gay thing coming they're a liar. I'm fine with it, but what the hell?" He laughed.

"Poots, man. Not the time. Or place," Thirdy said sternly. 

"Fine, I'll drop it. Whatever. I said I was fine with it." He walked away to another gathering of people, but the tension in the air didn't fade as quickly.

A gust of cold air passed by and to some relief, Tater had returned from outside. "Oh thank fuck," Snowy waved the towering defenseman over. "Here you go, dude. Tater's been talking about meeting you since Zimmermann told us. Be prepared, he's gonna like, touch you and stuff."

Bitty's eyes went wide. "What do--"

"Tater Tot. Come meet Jack's boyfriend."

"Zimmboni! You brought boyfriend finally!" Tater took only a few long strides to make it to the group, unexpectedly pulling them both into a hug. "Zimmboni said your bar is the one with the fainting guy."

"Oof! Yes." Bitty said when he was finally released from the bear hug. "I hope you enjoyed yourself."

"It was so good. We should have Falcs party there instead. Oh, but this house is good too," he added the last part as Marty finally returned to the group. 

"Thanks, Tater," Marty said, causing everyone to laugh. 

Gabrielle returned from upstairs with the tourtière and a few rookies who had trickled in late. Once their plates were full from the buffet-style spread, Jack and Bitty took the opportunity to spend a few minutes in only one another's company before more mingling that would inevitably follow.

"How are you holding up?" Bitty asked right as Jack bit into a chicken nugget. 

Jack chuckled. "I was about to ask you the same thing."

"All that beautiful food to choose from and you still picked the chicken nuggets. I thought you brought those for the kids," Bitty chirped gently.

"I got tourtière too, and whatever kind of salad this is," Jack insisted, as if Bitty could ever have missed the fact that Jack took a quarter of the meat pie for himself. In his defense, there wasn't room for much else on his plate after that. "I know what I'm about, Bittle."

Bitty snickered. "And that's very important, sweetheart."

"Haha."

"But you haven't answered my question."

"Oh, uh, yeah. I'm good."

"Really?" 

"Well..." Jack looked down at his plate. "Fitzgerald probably is fine with it, but..."

"But?"

"There are a couple guys who haven't really been the same since I came out. It's fine though, I expected that much. It's been better than I expected, actually."

"Still hurts a little though, huh?" 

"Yeah," Jack admitted. "I'm still glad I did it. And I'm really happy you're here." He smiled and nudged Bitty's leg with his foot.

Bitty smiled too. "Good." 

Jack frowned when Bitty didn't say anything further. "You didn't answer my question either."

Bitty chuckled. "I'm good, mostly. It's a lot of names to remember, and a lot of the same answers to the same questions, but I expected that. Everyone's been really nice so far..."

"But?" Jack asked as Bitty had done minutes earlier.

"I didn't expect to have such a visceral reaction to being laughed at by a jock again, but wow. I was right back in high school for a minute there."

"I'm sorry, Bits."

"Oh honey, please. You have literally nothing to apologize for."

"I didn't think he'd say something right in front of you like that."

Bitty sighed. "We should probably have another talk when we get home."

"What? Bits--" Jack's eyes went wide.

Bitty grabbed his leg immediately to stop him from spiralling. "No, Jack, no. Not that kind of talk, good lord. Never. Phew!" He shook his head. "I meant that if you're about to go public about being bi, we should talk about the flip side of things too -- not everyone is going to give you a grateful hug like the kids we met last weekend."

Jack took a deep breath and relaxed a little. "You're right. I know." The corner of his mouth twitched and there was a glint in his eye that Bitty had already learned meant a chirp was coming. "So... never, eh?"

"Never what?"

"Reassuring me that it wasn't a breakup talk by saying 'never'... very telling."

Bitty laughed. "Oh my god."

"I'm not saying no, but slow down Bittle, jeez. We've only had like, five dates so far. I'm not ready to make such a big commitment and here you are practically proposing. I think we should take it easy and slow for a while."

"I would believe that except for the literally everything you've done since I met you."

"Haha!"

"I'm onto you. I know what you're about too, Mr. Zimmermann."

Jack shrugged and he smiled in a way that made Bitty's heart skip a beat. "Can you blame me?"

"You-- you're too charming for your own good sometimes, you know that?" Bitty's worry that he might be blushing was confirmed when Jack laughed. Stop looking so handsome, I'm getting all flustered."

"You look really cute right now."

Bitty exhaled and gave Jack a determined look. "Okay, I see what you're doing. Two can play this game. We'll see who's the real cute blushing idiot at this party."

"Give it your best shot," Jack said with unearned confidence.

"I got my first celebrity follower on instagram the other day."

Jack laughed. "I know that already. I asked you to go on my account so I could foll--"

"Alicia Zimmermann."

Jack indeed started turning red. "She-- You're joking."

"Nope! Little blue 'verified' check mark and everything." Bitty grinned knowing that he had already won this battle, and was about to win the war. "I got another follower about an hour later."

"With a blue check mark?" Jack asked, dreading the answer.

"No, it was a strange account though. No pictures, only one follower. Wondering who that single follower was?"

"I can guess..."

"Alicia Zimmermann. Strange, huh? Why would your mom follow this weird spam account back? It was only following her and I at that point--"

"Uh-oh."

"Your boyfriend is part of the prestigious club of accounts worthy of being followed by 'badboybobby11' on instagram. It's me, your mom, and a page that posts cute puppy videos last I checked." Bitty pulled out his phone. "Oh! Welcome to the club, honey!"

Jack covered his bright red face with both hands. "I can't believe they did that. My mom swore she wouldn't go digging for your account. How did she find you?"

"Did you screenshot one of my selfies when she was asking what I looked like the other day?"

"...Yes. How did you know?"

"She told me. And complimented the shirt I was wearing in it. And asked what was my favourite part about attending Samwell." Bitty laughed.

"I'm afraid to ask if my dad messaged you too."

"You'll be happy to know that he did not privately message me."

Jack eyed him warily. "...I don't like how you worded that."

"Like father like son, I suppose. I'm not sure he realized that there was any way to communicate besides the comment section either."

"This is a nightmare."

"He wrote 'Ali showed me your Samwell goal on youtube. Nice shot, bud!' on a picture of one of the macarons I made for today."

"I give up." Jack dropped his hands away from his face. "Why are parents so embarrassing?"

"I wish I had an answer for you." Bitty laughed. "Hey, Jack?"

"What?"

"You look really cute right now," Bitty said, repeating Jack from earlier.

Jack groaned but it turned into a laugh. "You win. How red is my face?"

"Pretty red."

"Maybe when we're less red in a few minutes we should take on of those selfies you love so much. My mom always says the only pictures she ever sees are from promos."

Bitty smiled. "We definitely should, but first I need to track down a washroom. I really should tame that darn cowlick of mine if it's a photo a literal supermodel is going to see."

"You look perfect."

"You're a very sweet little liar." Bitty kissed Jack's forehead as he stood from the couch. "I'll be right back."

Bitty finished washing up and was about to return to Jack when he overheard a conversation nearby. He took a step back and stayed in the hallway for a minute to avoid being seen.

"--believe it now, huh?"

"I have eyes, don't I?"

"Well, you were worrying for nothing. The day Zimmermann starts looking at you like that in the locker room is the day I'd start worrying."

"Which one do you think is the chick? I really don't know what to think if Zimmermann takes it up--"

Bitty coughed loudly to alert the gossiping rookies of his presence as he turned the corner from the hallway. "Excuse me, gentlemen," he managed to say with every shred of courage he could muster as he walked past. The rookies at least looked sheepish enough to halt their speculations for the time being.

Bitty returned to Jack on the couch. If there was one thing that Bitty had been good at all his life, it was finding the silver lining on every cloud. Although he wished he hadn't heard that conversation in the first place, as Jack smiled at him, Bitty could at least understand "that look" they mentioned he had whenever he looked at Bitty. 

"What is it?" Jack asked. 

"Nothing. Thinking about how nice your smile is, that's all," Bitty said as he sat back down. 

"Oh? Haha." Jack smiled.

"Proving my point, sweetpea."

"I was gonna grab seconds and dessert. You want anything while I'm up?" Jack said as he tapped his cleared plate on his lap.

"No thank you." 

Bitty was alone for no more than 10 seconds before Marty sat down on the other side of him. "My sister said that I better make sure you're feeling comfortable and welcome here, but that I can't 'be fucking weird about it'," he said with a chuckle. "I just made it weird, didn't I?"

"Well, pointing it out didn't help," Bitty teased. 

Marty laughed. "You're a chirpy little guy, eh? No wonder the kiddo was laughing away over here earlier. Haven't seen him that animated around the rink."

Bitty paused, confused. He may have had a glass or two of punch, but he definitely didn't remember making Marty's son laugh earlier. Bitty would have undoubtedly remembered that because baby giggles were one of his favourite sounds in the word. "I don't-- Wait. Is Jack 'the kiddo' you're talking about?"

Marty laughed. "I know he's older than half the team, but just look at the guy." He gestured to where Jack was awkwardly having a conversation with one of his new teammates' wives. He looked adorably out of his depth. "That's a good kiddo."

Bitty smiled softly. "He's absolutely a good kiddo."

"I, uh, was gonna say this to Zimmermann too but he might be a while -- Emily over there is a bit of a talker -- but, uh... Thirdy told me about that stuff with Poots earlier, and--"

"It was nothing, re--"

"I'm gonna have a talk with him, okay?"

"You don't have to do that," Bitty said, wanting to shrink down between the couch cushions.

"I do, though. Thirdy and I-- we'll make sure that Poots and any other guys keep their mouths shut. That's not what this team is about. I dont want you to worry about Jack here, okay? We've got his back."

Bitty sighed, unable to mask his relief. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried about how he'd fit in with the team after this. It's nice to know y'all have his back. Not that I'm about to complain about having him all to myself so far, but I know he's been missing playing. We played a little shinny last weekend, but that's not exactly NHL-caliber."

Marty laughed. "Yeah, he told me about that. Said you wiped the ice with 'im."

"He told you about that? When? And why?" Bitty laughed.

"I think he finds a way to bring you up in every conversation, so I'm not sure on the 'when' exactly."

Bitty covered his blushing cheeks. "Oh lord, that must be so annoying already. I'm not that interesting a topic."

"Nah, it's cute. Honestly after all the stories from last season, I wasn't sure what to expect when he was traded here. He was pretty quiet those first few weeks, too. Who knew all he needed was a multi-talented boyfriend to brag about?"

"Bragging? Good lord. He doesn't actually--" Bitty froze mid-sentence. "Oh no. Is that why everyone knows my name already? I've never heard the words 'Eric Bittle' so much in my entire life."

Jack returned at that moment. "The stuff you brought was mostly cleared out but I got one of those yellow things and a couple cookies. Oh hey, Marty."

"Honey, you have to stop talking about me so much at work. Everyone is going to get sick of me, hearing all the same stories over and over," Bitty said as he helped himself to one of the sugar cookies on Jack's plate.

"I didn't say that," Marty reiterated.

"Haven't had to repeat a story yet, Bits." Jack shrugged. "Stop being so amazing."

"Charmer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a time skip coming up. From mid-December allll the way to xmas eve lol


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: some angst ahead

Bitty told himself he was being selfish for missing Jack as much as he did, but that didn't make it any less real. Being apart for a week into their month-long relationship would be nothing in the long run, but having half a continent between them at the moment made him feel that much more lonely. He was idly scrolling through twitter, avoiding sleep for no reason when he got a text.

Jack: Hey. You up?

Bitty checked the time -- it was almost 12:30am. What time was it in Montréal? Same time zone. Yup. Bitty suspected he had an idea where this was going to go. Although he wouldn't put it past Jack to text him half an hour into December 25th just so he would be the first person to wish Bitty a Merry Christmas. 

Bitty: In body and spirit, but not in mind

Jack: Haha

Jack: What?

Bitty: I'm wasting time on Twitter, that's all.

Bitty: Merry Christmas sweetpea.

Jack: Haha. Merry Christmas, Bits. I miss you.

Bitty: I miss you too

Bitty smiled and scrolled back through their text history a little to see what it was Jack called his family gathering he had earlier that evening. Réveillon. He copied it into a google search but another text came in before he could read the results.

Jack: Want to pop onto skype for a bit?

Bitty: I could certainly do that

Bitty: Give me a minute to get ready ;)

Jack: Haha ok

Bitty hopped out of bed and made sure the door to his childhood bedroom was locked. His parents had turned in for the night hours ago, but Bitty was not about to run any risk of his mama or daddy walking in on him during whatever was about to happen. What was about to happen, exactly? He had taken a sexy selfie or two in his day, but he'd never had to deal with the kind of distance that necessitated a skype session. There were butterflies in his stomach at the thought, still he wanted so badly to see Jack's smile at that moment -- and anything else after that would be icing on the cake.

He stripped out of his pajamas and hurried over to his suitcase, knowing that Jack's call could come through at any moment. Inside he found the Zimmermann jersey he bought on their first date and slipped it on. He crawled back into bed and propped up some pillows behind his back, trying to figure out a position that would make him look casual yet sexy, as though he wasn't about to have a skype sex for the first time in his life. It was too bad that Jack's name was only on the back of the jersey but even though he wouldn't be able to see it, Bitty knew that Jack would know and that's all that really mattered.

Seconds after finding a position and angle that Bitty thought would work well for whatever came next, the skype call came through. Bitty answered and tried his best to hide the nerves in his voice. "Hey there, handsome strang--"

"Aww, he's wearing your jersey! Isn't that swee--"

Bitty snapped his laptop shut and tossed it away as though it had burned him and it landed against the wall at the foot of his bed with a thud. He sat frozen in silence for a moment hoping his parents hadn't heard that sound, but to his continued horror, a sliver of light came through beneath his bedroom door from the hallway. 

"You okay, junior? Your mama thought she heard a crash."

"All good, Daddy. I just... dropped my laptop."

"Did it break?"

Bitty dragged his hands down his face, not wanting to have a conversation with his father at that moment. Or his mother. Or Jack's mother, who was definitely one of the many faces who appeared on his screen instead of the boyfriend he expected to see alone in his room.

"Junior?"

"It's fine! I'm fine! It must've just slipped right out of my hands because I'm so tired! Goodnight! Sorry to wake you!"

"...Okay, then. Get some rest. Busy day tomorrow," Coach said, then shuffled back down the hallway.

Bitty opened his laptop once more, relieved it wasn't broken, but dreading the sight of another skype call coming in. He pulled his blankets up all around him so that only his blushing face was visible and mustered all of his courage to answer. To his immense relief, Jack was now alone in a different room. 

"You okay, Bits? What happened?"

"I threw my laptop halfway across the room."

"Why? Haha. And why are you all bundled up like that? It can't be that cold down in Georgia." Jack smiled.

"I wasn't sure what kind of audience I would have..."

"Oh." Jack cringed. "Sorry 'bout that. I thought I told you that my parents were hosting réveillon tonight."

"You did... it's still going strong, huh?"

"It only started like an hour or two ago." Jack chuckled. "It's like an after-midnight thing."

"Ah. I see..." Bitty covered his face. "Oh my lord I am so embarrassed. I might never be able to look your mother in the eye."

"Because you were wearing my jersey to bed? That's so cute, though."

Bitty blinked. "Okay, wow. We were on vastly different pages here and now I'm extra embarrassed." Jack titled his head like a confused puppy and Bitty groaned. "Before I incriminate myself any further -- is there anyone else around you right now?"

"No."

"Within earshot?" Bitty asked and Jack shook his head. "Is there any risk someone might walk in and see your screen in the next 30 seconds?"

"I'm upstairs in the guest room. Everyone else is still downstairs. What's wrong, Bits?"

"I wasn't planning on sleeping in it."

"Oh? Okay, I don't..." Jack trailed off as the realization dawned on his face. "Ohh?"

"Mmhm."

"I didn't think... We didn't talk about it, uh, whether that was something--"

"No, no! I'm not saying we have to! I didn't-- I saw your 'you up?' message and it was so late already, so I assumed that you wanted--"

"I mean..." A mischievous grin crept across Jack's lips. "I'm not opposed to it."

"No?"

"I was gonna bring it up at some point, just... I figured tomorrow would be better than tonight in a house full of my extended family."

"Obviously not!" Bitty groaned and covered his face again. "Can you imagine if I hadn't been so nervous? I almost gave your relatives a show that none of us asked for."

"Nervous?" Jack frowned. "If you're not comfortable that's okay. You know that right? No pressure."

"Honey, no. I was nervous, but the good kind of nervous. Mostly. I've never done anything like this before, so if I'm bad at it..."

"You want to do it right now?" Jack asked.

"Is that not where this was going?"

"I..." Jack glanced away at something off screen. "Whatever, I'll see them next year." He chuckled and started unbuttoning his shirt.

"Oh my god. No. What was I even thinking? Go spend time with your family!" 

"You sure? Cuz I don't really want to leave you hanging like this."

"Go have fun with your family, Jack. I'll just be over here spontaneously combusting from embarrassment."

"Haha." Jack looked like he was about to move, but stayed in his seat. "Uh... my family is still gonna want to meet you, though. My cousin Claudette is persistent, and now that my mom has seen that you're still awake from that awkward little glimpse before, she's definitely gonna want to say hi for a bit. My dad too... and probably at least half of his nosy sisters."

"How many is half?"

"He's one of nine kids. Two brothers, six sisters."

"Oh good lord, your poor grandmother."

"Haha."

Bitty took a deep breath and exhaled to calm his nerves. "Okay. Just let me put some bottoms on before you bring me back out there."

Jack grinned. "What are you wearing underneath that jersey, Bittle?"

"Nothing, honey. That's the point." Bitty tossed the blanket off of his legs and rolled out of bed.

Jack caught a glimpse of skin and his brain short-circuited. "Uh, hey, Bits? Forget about my family. I'll just tell them your computer was acting up."

"What? Why?"

"I just... eugh. Fuck, I wish I could touch you right now..."

Bitty returned on Jack's screen, fully dressed. "We'll be home together soon," he said with a gentle smile. "Go find your family, sweetheart. I'm dressed appropriately now, even if my mind is full of indecent thoughts."

"Yeah?"

"But those thoughts can wait until tomorrow night. My family gathering won't go nearly as late as yours is tonight. And then I'll finally see you on the 26th."

Jack chuckled. "Okay. You're right. I'll give you a call back in a minute when I'm back down there with everybody." Bitty looked perplexed, so Jack continued. "I'm gonna try to rein them in a bit so you don't get asked a hundred questions at once."

"Oh," Bitty said with a chuckle. "I thought you needed a 'private moment' or something."

"Don't make my mind wander, Bittle. I'm not that in control of the situation right now."

*****

Bitty woke up later than he had planned to the next morning. Jack's parents and extended family had kept him up chatting for longer than either of them had expected it would take. He checked his phone to find a text from Jack that had been sent at some point after Bitty had fallen asleep.

Jack: Sorry my family is crazy haha. Have a good night, Bits. Sleep tight :)

Bitty smiled at the screen. He couldn't remember a time he felt this smitten with someone before. Maybe his first boyfriend, because everything was so fresh and new? But even that didn't strike Bitty quite the same way. Jack was a breath of fresh air that Bitty knew he needed, but didn't think he would ever find. He couldn't decide whether to curse the heavens for all the pain Jack went through the previous year, or thank his lucky stars that Jack's path led them here. Bitty decided on an awkward combination of both.

Bitty: Good morning, sunshine! Sorry I must've have passed out right after that call ended. Didn't see your message until now. 

Jack: Great timing, Bits. Just finished my run.

Bitty: You did NOT get up early to go for a run on Christmas day. Don't lie to me.

Jack: [picture received]

Jack: Believe me now?

Bitty took a moment to fully appreciate the image of Jack on his phone. Hair damp with sweat, cheeks flushed from the cold, his jacket unzipped to reveal fitted running gear underneath. Oh god, he was wearing tights during his run -- how many traffic accidents had been caused that morning by the sight of Jack Zimmermann's ass? Still, Bitty had to laugh.

Bitty: I never doubted you, sweetheart

Jack: You called me a liar like 2 texts ago lol

Bitty: I was clearly trying to get a sexy sweaty selfie from you. Mission accomplished. 

Jack: haha in that case...

Jack: [picture received]

Jack: Merry Christmas, Bits ;)

The next photo was of a now shirtless Jack with a thumb hooked in the waistband of his tights, dragging them down just enough on one side to drive Bitty crazy. He sent it too quickly for it to have been anything but a single picture taken with his phone and Bitty was equal parts amazed, jealous, and turned on. The latter may have been starting to win out.

Bitty: Joyeux Noël to me indeed!

Jack: Haha 

Bitty: Maybe we can have a little Skype session tonight...

Jack: I'd like that. If you managed to survive a call with my family, then I can at least give it my best shot with yours 

Bitty: I was thinking more like after my family thing was over. At bedtime, you know what I mean?

Jack: Oh Haha. Sounds good.

Jack: I'll talk to you later then, okay? Gotta go shower off.

Bitty: Okay sweetheart

Bitty tossed his phone down on his bed and fell back with his face in his hands. "Fuck." Guilt bubbled up in his stomach, and he cursed himself for not considering this situation. It was hard to read the tone of Jack's texts, maybe he didn't think anything of it... or maybe he was crushed that Bitty didn't want to introduce him to his family tonight. 

It wasn't really that Bitty didnt want his boyfriend to meet his family -- Jack was amazing and sweet and respectful and honestly the best case scenario as far as boyfriends to introduce to parents... but Bitty hadn't told his parents he even existed yet. He had planned to at some point over the holidays, but the perfect moment hadn't happened yet.

Or rather, it had, but had quickly passed. His first morning in Madison, Bitty had ventured into the kitchen for a much-needed cup of coffee. His mama sat down across from him and reached for his hand. Bitty obliged, and she gave it a squeeze. She told him how happy she was that he came home this year, and that he looked happy. Bitty told her he was, and when she asked more about his life he was so close to spilling every wonderful little thing about his past month with Jack -- but Coach came into the room at that moment and Bitty had lost his nerve.

It wasn't news that Bitty was gay. His parents had known since his senior year at Samwell. But there was a difference between accepting and embracing the facts. He knew they still loved him, but they were never going to be 'PFLAG parents' that's for sure. Coach didn't say a word about it, positive or negative. Mama Bittle stopped asking if he'd met any nice girls up at Samwell, and occasionally recounted stories about how she "didn't know what to say" when the ladies in her church group shared news of their children's upcoming (heterosexual) weddings. She was fond of "I'll tell them when there's something to tell" as an excuse for not correcting their questions about whether Bitty had a girlfriend.

There was only a matter of hours left before the house would be full of Phelps and Bittle family members and Bitty felt absolute dread at the thought of facing the onslaught of questions about when he was going to find the right girl, or move back home, or if he would just move back home how some aunt could set him up with the "perfect girl" from her church. It was exhausting.

Bitty took a deep breath and looked back down at his phone. He unlocked it and found the picture Jack had taken of them together at the Falconers' holiday party. He'd been hesitant to make it his lock screen in case someone saw, but his mind was made up now. Bitty slipped his phone into the pocket of his pajama pants before heading downstairs. "Mama? There's something I've been mean-- Oh."

"Mornin' Junior," Coach said without turning around. He was busy washing dishes from his wife's early-morning baking spree. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah..." Bitty folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall awkwardly. "You?"

"Yup."

"Good."

"Coffee's ready."

"Oh, thanks." Bitty poured himself a cup and went to the fridge to grab some milk. "Where's mama?"

"Doin' a load of laundry. She got it in her head that there was a particular sweater she wanted to wear tonight and tossed it in the wash."

"Oh."

"She'll be back any minute now."

"Okay." Bitty returned the milk to the fridge and sipped his coffee. "Did--"

"How's that bar of yours doing?" Coach asked suddenly.

"It's doing well. We hosted a lot of christmas parties this month for the offices nearby. It's a really busy month."

"S'good you managed to come home this year."

"We decided to close for a few days. We're opening again on Friday for the usual weekend business, and New Years Eve is always a big night." Bitty took another sip of his coffee before setting it down and grabbing a dish towel. "Here, I'll dry."

"Thanks, Junior."

Bitty picked up a dish from the rack and started drying, hoping that the shaking of his hands wasn't too noticeable. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a conversation this long with his father that wasn't about football. He took another deep breath and forged ahead. "Oh, so speaking about the bar -- here's some good news. Remember my friends Justin and Adam? They're two of the friends I opened it with. Well, they just got engaged a few weeks ago."

"At the same time?"

"Yeah, they-- I mean they got engaged to each other."

"Oh," was all Coach said at first. "Didn't realize they were like that, too."

Bitty winced. "By 'like that' you mean..."

"Y'know. The whole gay thing." Coach rinsed off the last dish and placed it on the rack.

"Like me?"

"Do we got to talk about this now?"

"No..." Bitty grabbed a second dish to dry, then set it down. "Actually, yes. I think we do need to talk about 'the whole gay thing'. I..." his voice dried up in his throat.

Suzanne returned to the kitchen at that moment and saw the tension in her husband's shoulders and the pained look on her son's face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Junior was just sayin' how his friends are getting gay-married."

"It's not-- it's just 'married.' You don't have to add the-- neither of them are even gay!"

"Who?" Suzanne asked.

"Justin and Adam. They're getting married. To each other." Bitty had thought sharing that news would be an easy entryway into discussing his own relationship status, but evidently not.

"I thought Adam had a son?" 

"He does."

"But he doesn't like women anymore?"

"He's bi, mama. Bisexual. They both are."

Coach made an indecipherable grunt in response to that and kept busy by continuing to dry the dish that Bitty had put down.

"Okay, there's no reason to get so worked up, Dicky. I thought Justin was dating that tall girl. What's her name, June?"

"March? That ended years ago."

Suzanne frowned. "That's too bad."

"No it isn't!" Bitty cringed when he realized he had just raised his voice to his mother and tried to smooth things over. "He's marrying Adam now. They love each other."

"Are their families... supportive?" Suzanne asked carefully.

"Of course they are." Bitty scoffed. Before he could stop himself, he asked, "Would you be?"

"Dicky! When have we ever not been supportive of you?" 

"I..." Bitty choked back tears. This was not the conversation he meant to be having at all, especially on christmas morning. "I'm sorry. Forget I said anything..." 

Bitty picked up his coffee cup and excused himself from the room to compose himself. He wanted to talk to Jack. He wanted to see him so badly, to be wrapped up in his comforting arms and kissed. He looked at the clock -- 36 hours to go until he would be home with Jack, or reunited at the airport at least. 

There was a soft knock on his bedroom door and Bitty wiped self-consciously at the tears that hadn't left his eyes. He sighed. "Come in."

To Bitty's surprise, his father stepped into the room instead of his mother. "Your mama said I should come up here and make things right." Coach lingered by the door, as uncomfortable with the impending conversation as Bitty was. 

"Oh..."

Coach sighed and pulled the chair away from Bitty's desk to sit down. "I don't know where you got this idea that I don't support ya. I let you quit football, I drove you to your skating lessons, I said nothing when you wanted to go to that fancy college up north..."

"That's not the same..." Bitty trailed off. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Okay then, apology accepted." Coach stood and gave Bitty a pat on the shoulder on his way out of the room. He paused at the doorway and looked back at Bitty sitting on his bed and staring absently at something on the wall. With a heavy sigh, he returned to the chair. "Well? Out with it."

"...Are you proud of me? Have you ever been?" Bitty asked quietly. "Or am I just some weird gay disappointment?"

Coach gave a disapproving groan in response to that last question. "Of course I'm proud of you. What gave you that idea?"

"My entire life," Bitty answered bluntly. "Because I quit football, and took skating lessons, and went away to that 'fancy college up north'... I met the best friends I've ever had there -- do you even know their names?"

"Sure, there's uh, well-- Dustin and Andy, and the moustache kid, and that Asian girl--" Coach frowned when Bitty responded with a soft scoff. "What? You know I'm no good with names."

"Have you even tried?"

"Well, you always call 'em by those goofy hockey nicknames, how am I supposed to keep all that straight in my head."

"You never even came to a family weekend... I thought you would at least try when I was made captain."

"I had to work, and you always got nervous when I'd watch your games before. What'd it matter if I went or not? You never made it seem like a big deal."

"It was. It--" Bitty took a deep breath. "I was the first out captain -- that's a big deal in hockey. I had kids from all over writing me letters asking how my parents thought about it all, worried about how their own parents would react... I... I had a lot of eyes on me and my big inspiring answer was 'I was worried they'd disown me but they didn't.' Dream big, kid." He scoffed bitterly.

Coach was quiet, but his initial anger and frustration had subsided. "I still don't know why you chose today to bring all this up..."

"Because, daddy, I-- I have a boyfriend now. And last night he introduced me to basically his entire extended family and--" his voice cracked a little, "He's ready to tell the whole world about me and I've been spending the past three days just trying to figure out how to tell you. There's something wrong with that."

Coach sighed. "This boyfriend... he have a name?"

"Jack."

"And he's good to you?"

"Very. He's wonderful."

"You love him?"

"I--" The question caught Bitty off guard, but he realized that he hadn't told his father that they'd only been dating for a month. He realized something else in that moment too. "I do. I really love him, daddy. Jack is... he's not like any boy I've ever dated."

"Oh, uh... You've dated other boys already, huh?"

"I'm 24," Bitty replied. "Yes, I have."

"You never mentioned any of 'em before."

"I just told you why." Bitty shrugged his shoulders and wondered if their conversation was making any difference at all.

"So that bar of yours," Coach began, and Bitty's shoulders dropped a little more at the apparent change in topic. "I'm guessin' it was closed this time last year, too?"

Bitty nodded before the words could form. "Yes, Coach."

Coach pursed his lips and shifted uncomfortably in the desk chair. "I never said you weren't welcome at home."

"You never said I was, either."

"Did that need to be said?"

"Maybe not... but I needed to hear it." Bitty chanced a look over at his father, but couldn't read the expression on his face. "I guess you and I have never been big talkers, huh?" 

If any of his friends had heard him say that line, they would have chirped him into oblivion. Bitty was better known for not being able to shut up. It seemed like he could talk to anyone -- except his father. 

"Well, I've never been one to talk about feelings and that," Coach said and Bitty nodded obediently. "But I'll try."

Bitty swallowed down the lump that had been steadily rising in his throat. "Really?"

Coach sighed. "I don't think there's anything wrong with ya, and you're not a disappointment. You're my boy, and... that's that."

Bitty gave a small smile. "I love you too, daddy."

Coach looked caught by surprise that Bitty had said the actual words, but he smiled. "You too, Junior."

Bitty was pulled into a hug when they both stood. He couldn't remember the last time his father had hugged him, but was almost certain he could count the number of times it had happened since he hit double-digit birthdays on one hand. Coach gave him a couple pats on the back, but Bitty didn't let go at first. Another ten seconds and two more pats to the back later they finally parted.

"We should head on back. Your mama must be worried sick about what's takin' us so long."

"Yeah."

They walked out of Bitty's bedroom together but he back tracked when he realized he'd left his phone and coffee behind. Coach lingered in the hall for Bitty to come back. "So... you met his whole family already, huh? Jack, I mean."

Bitty blushed. "Well, on Skype. I haven't met any of them in person yet -- he's not from Providence either."

"Where's he from?"

"Montréal. Canada."

Coach scoffed. "I know where Montreal is, Junior. You don't gotta tell me."

Bitty chuckled. "Sorry."

"A Canadian boyfriend, huh?" Coach asked as they walked down the stairs. "Is that all, or are you gonna tell me I have a Canadian son-in-law?"

"Oh, lord no. Not yet."

"Yet?"

"It's still pretty new," Bitty admitted. 

They stepped into the kitchen where Suzanne had busied herself with piping icing onto sugar cookies, her lips tight with worry. Despite seemingly being immersed in the task, Bitty recognized an uncharacteristic sloppiness to her technique that showed her mind was focused elsewhere.

"Put that down for a minute, sweetpea. Junior has something to say." Coach gave her a kiss on the side of the head. Despite encouraging her to forego any potential distractions, he chose to resume drying the remaining dishes.

"Mama, I... I have a boyfriend," Bitty told her. 

There was a time in his life when he considered his mother his best friend. There were few things he'd ever kept from her. Being gay was the only secret he had kept, but it was also the biggest thing about himself that he could have possibly stayed quiet about. When he had finally come out ahead of his senior year at Samwell, she had reacted as though it was a deliberate betrayal. She questioned him as to why he didn't trust her, instead of turning the questions inward to wonder why he felt that one thing was something she would have trouble hearing. She tried her best to show her support of him after a cooling-off period, but a small crack had formed in the foundation of their parent-child relationship. Bitty couldn't tell after that how much of her support was genuine and how much was for show.

"Oh? Well that's nice. Why didn't you bring him to Christmas?"

"He's home with his family this year." Bitty bristled a little, surprising himself compared to how well he felt the conversation had gone with Coach moments before. Maybe some part of him hadn't expected he would ever get his father's approval, but his tumble from atop the pedestal his mother had kept him on before coming out had caused more scars than he was willing to admit. Bitty took a deep breath and pushed onwards. "His name is Jack. He's really sweet..."

"He's Canadian," Coach added without turning around. Bitty wasn't sure if he meant that as a positive thing or not, but it felt like he was trying to help the conversation along in some way.

"He is. He moved to Providence earlier this year and we really hit it off. He's thoughtful and funny -- I think you'd really like him, Mama."

Something in Suzanne's facial expression softened a little, though she still seemed uncertain how to react to everything. "Do you have a picture of him?"

Bitty smiled and held out his phone to show her his new lock screen photo. "Yeah, here." 

Coach also poked his head over his wife's shoulder to get a look at the picture of Bitty and Jack. "Handsome fellow."

"He is. That picture doesn't even do him justice, he's so‐-" Bitty stopped himself and took a sip of his coffee as an excuse to hide his face momentarily behind his mug. "He is handsome, I agree."

"Very handsome," Suzanne agreed. A flash of recognition crossed her face. "He looks familiar. He didn't go to Samwell with you?"

"No," Bitty began. He knew he had to tell his parents that Jack was an NHL player. If Jack was about to come out, then it was only a matter of time before Bitty's face showed up in some article about the first out player's relationship.

Before he could get into it however, Coach spoke again. "Looks strong enough to be a football player. He play?"

"I don't think so. It's not as popular up there as it is down here," Bitty replied. He wasn't sure football was as popular anywhere as it was in Georgia, if he was honest. "He plays hockey, though. Actually--"

"Oh that's why he looks so familiar!" Suzanne announced triumphantly. "He looks like that hockey player! The one your Aunt Connie had such a crush on when we were teenagers. Oh what was his name? It was a funny one."

Bitty hesitated to put forth his boyfriend's name as a "funny" one, but he had heard about the poster of Bad Bob Zimmermann that used to adorn the wall of the bedroom his mother used to share with her older sister. He even had a vague memory of seeing it before his Moomaw sold the old house. "Zimmermann."

"Oh that's right! Bad Bob Zimmermann!" Suzanne laughed. "You know Judy caught her kissing that poster once?"

Bitty cringed. He did not need the mental image of his aunt kissing a poster of the man he had spoken to over skype not 8 hours earlier. "I..."

"He was Canadian too, I think. Oh wouldn't it be funny if they were related?" Suzanne mused. She continued before Bitty could explain. "Didn't he marry that actress? You know, that pretty blonde one. I wonder if they're still married--"

"They are," Bitty replied. "In fact--"

Suzanne was already on her phone trying to google "Bob Zimmermann Wife" for her name. "Alicia Zimmermmann. Oh lord, she doesn't look a day over 40. Doesn't their son play hockey too?"

Bitty jumped at his chance. "He does. For the Providence Falconers."

Coach chuckled. "How 'bout that? Guess you would know." He gestured to his son's shirt and to Bitty's horror he realized he was still wearing Jack's jersey from the night before. 

Bitty's cheeks burned bright red while he contemplated whether it was to his advantage or not to draw attention to the name across his back. He was about to speak when a strange look crossed his mother's face. "Mama?"

"What did you say your boyfriend's name was, again?" Suzanne asked with her eyes still on her phone. 

Bitty knew she had googled Bad Bob's son by the way she glanced at Bitty's phone hoping to catch another look at his lock screen. "Jack... Zimmermann."

"Ohh."

Bitty huffed, expecting a different reaction than that. "What?"

"...If you need money, you know we're always--"

"Oh my god!" Bitty's jaw dropped. "I'm not-- what does this have to do with money? I'm-- Why would you even suggest that?"

"I don't want to see you get hurt. I've heard about guys who are one way in private but then go and marry a pretty girl for the cameras."

Bitty was dumbstruck and it took a moment to find the words. "Jack isn't like that, I assure you."

"Dont get offended, I was only worried that you were--"

"He's not like that."

"Okay, okay. If you say so, then--"

"Yes. I'm saying so," Bitty insisted. "I love him, Mama. And I... Maybe it won't last in the long run -- I can't see the future, but... Jack is my boyfriend. I've met his team and his family, and he's met my friends. I'm not some dirty little secret, how dare-- how could you-- You don't even know him. You barely know me."

Suzanne winced. She had always prided herself on being close to her son, but it looked like Bitty's words had finally made it through to her. "Dicky..."

Bitty sighed, it was barely 9:30am and he was already exhausted. "Jack's coming out soon, probably in the next couple weeks or so. I just wanted to make sure you both knew about us before the news breaks. You might see my face somewhere. People 'round here will probably talk."

"Well, it's really none of their business..."

"You should know that if anyone asks about my relationship status tonight I'm telling them that I have a boyfriend. I hope you will too."

"Of course," Suzanne said and Coach nodded silently in agreement. 

"And you can say his name is Jack but don't tell anyone who he is. Not yet. There's stuff in the works with PR and everything -- I dont want some second-cousin of Aunt Judy's coworker's husband breaking the news before Jack gets to. This is a big deal."

"Okay, Dicky. We promise." Suzanne looked hesitantly at her husband and then back at her son. "So... when do we get to meet him?"

Bitty's phone buzzed at that moment and a preview of a text message came through. Bitty froze in horror as his mother read out what she saw on the screen.

"Oh, it's from Jack with a little heart beside the name. He says, 'All done. Since you said I can't buy you a xmas gift, maybe this will make...' oh! And it looks like he sent a photo," she added when the phone buzzed again.

Bitty snatched his phone off the table and clutched it against his chest. Knowing Jack, there were equal chances that the picture was of something adorably innocent, or that he had progressed to the next stage after his thirsty pre-shower photo shoot.

"If that's him then how 'bout you do that skyping thing?" Coach suggested.

Not only was Bitty certain that it would be a disaster if he attempted to skype Jack at that moment, but he clutched his phone a little tighter for a second reason. "I don't want you to meet Jack yet."

"Oh honey, we're not going to say anything to embarrass you. Just a little wave and a hello. You said your met his parents and coworkers."

Bitty smiled sadly. "I know, but... I'm not ready for that. I'm not there yet." His dad looked confused and his mom looked hurt, but neither one pushed the issue any further in that moment. "I'm still pretty tired. I might go back to bed for a little bit, save up some energy for this afternoon when everyone starts showing up."

Bitty retreated to his room once more and locked the door behind him. Nobody followed him this time around. He felt guilty, but deep down he knew it wasn't the right time to introduce his parents to Jack. They had more to work on together before he would feel comfortable springing that on Jack.

It had been an emotionally draining morning already, and Bitty was exhausted. Maybe he really would go back to sleep for a bit instead of simply hiding in his old bedroom for privacy's sake. But first, Bitty unlocked his phone to check the messages Jack had sent him.

Jack: All done. Since you said I can't buy you a xmas gift, maybe this will make your day a little merrier

Jack: [picture received]

It was indeed a post-shower picture, but only of half of Jack's face. The focus was a framed photo on the wall of what was presumably Jack as a baby. He had written "#growup" after it which made Bitty smile.

Bitty: Did you mean #glowup?

Jack: Oh yeah, that's the one. I knew it was something like that.

Bitty: well I think you were very cute as a baby and very handsome now.

Jack: It's okay, Bits. I know I was a goofy looking kid.

Bitty: I stand by what I said

Bitty: And if we're exchanging silly childhood photos as xmas gifts...

Bitty: [picture sent]

Bitty grabbed a photo album off his shelf that contained some of his first skating competitions. He selected one with a particularly outrageous outfit and sent it to Jack.

Jack: You were adorable haha

Jack: Like there was any doubt in my mind

Bitty didn't know why that was what did it, but the dam burst and he started sobbing. He missed Jack so much after only a week. He regretted turning down Jack's offer to fly him up to Montréal, and resisted the urge to check for any flights heading out later that day because Bitty knew if he found one he would pack his bags right that moment. 

Why did he come back to Madison this year, anyway? He would have been happier staying alone in Providence like the year before.

Bitty: You're sweet. I miss you!

Jack: I miss you too.

Jack: But you'll have fun at your big family thing tonight and the time will fly by before you know it.

Bitty: True

Bitty: okay honey I've got to go. My mama needs my help in the kitchen. Talk to you tonight?

Jack: Sounds good. Have fun!

Bitty: Oh I will!

Bitty wiped the tears from his eyes and pulled his blankets over his head to block out some of the morning sun pouring through his window. He didn't want to lie to Jack, but he also didn't want to have the "parents" conversation over text or skype. He just needed to get through the rest of the day and then he could be home with his friends and boyfriend. Only 35 hours to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouch, right? Bitty will be okay, he's just really missing his support network at home.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy romantic shenanigans after the angst of the last chapter

Jack: Looks like my flight is a little later than planned, but I think I'll still beat yours by half an hour.

Jack: Haha yup. You're still 35 minutes away.

Jack: I already went through customs so I'm just gonna wait for you by baggage claim

Jack: okay security didn't want me loitering suspiciously around bags like that so I'm sitting in that chair area

Jack: one of the guys asked for my autograph though so that was funny. It's not like I could get away with stealing anything

Jack: I wasn't planning on stealing anything just to be clear

Jack: Okay you're landing in 29 minutes now.

Jack: I guess you're gonna get all these messages at once, eh?

Jack: Okay I'll stop now.

Jack: it was down to 14 minutes then went back up to 16 minutes :(

Jack: ñ

Jack: oops I don't even know what I did there haha I was eavesdropping (shhh) and my thumb hit something

Jack: I have a feeling these next 6 minutes are gonna feel even longer than the past 6 days.

Bitty turned off airplane mode a minute before he was supposed to, and panicked at the deluge of texts that came pouring in. He shoved his phone into the pocket of his jeans and blushed crimson when that did little to mask the vibrations of his phone. 

"I haven't seen my boyfriend in six days," Bitty attempted to explain to the passenger across the aisle. He cringed when he realized that didn't sound comforting at all coming from some weird guy with his hand shoved in his pocket. "I'm just getting a lot of text messages. I promise I'm not a pervert."

Shockingly, that did not ease the awkwardness of the situation at all, and managed to gather a bit more attention from surrounding passengers and a passing flight attendant. 

Bitty flagged the attendant down. "Excuse me, what's the quickest way into the jet engine? I'm so embarrassed I'm about to die. Thought I might as well expedite the process." The flight attended laughed and carried on as one more text message came in. Bitty checked it and everything else he had been feeling melted away.

Jack: You landed! :)

Bitty: I did! How were those last 6 minutes?

Jack: Excruciating. You?

Bitty: You have NO idea

Jack: Haha 

Bitty hurried out of the plane as soon as he could and bounced impatiently on his toes while he rode the escalator down behind a middle-aged couple who were all too content to stand still rather than walk down.

"Bits!" 

Bitty followed the sound of his voice and spotted Jack with a bouquet of roses to the left of the escalator. It took all his restraint not to hope over the hand rail. "Where on earth did you get those flowers from?"

"They're not from a funeral this time, I promise."

Bitty spotted some of his fellow passengers from Atlanta nearby and burst out laughing at how awful of an impression they must have made as a couple. Some airplane pervert and a guy who steals flowers from funerals. What a match! He didn't remember getting off the escalator and clearing those last couple feet to Jack, but everything snapped back into focus the moment he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's waist.

"I dont even care about my luggage, let's leave it and go home right now."

"Isn't your winter coat in your suitcase?"

As much as Bitty missed Jack, he wasn't quite ready to sacrifice his body to the late-December afternoon wearing only a sweater and jeans. "...Okay we should wait for my suitcase."

"I missed you," Jack said as he returned Bitty's embrace, squeezing him tight right as Bitty was worried he might have overstepped with the PDA. "Can I kiss you?"

Bitty couldn't tell if the tears in his eyes were from laughter, stress, happiness, or relief, but he suspected it was a combination of all of the above as he wiped them hastily with his sleeve. "Is that okay? Yes. Yes please, but are you sure?"

Jack chuckled and leaned in, planting a gentle kiss on Bitty's lips. "Yeah."

"If you want to be extra sure I wouldn't object..." Bitty grinned and Jack kissed him again. "Mmm, maybe triple-check."

Jack happily obliged, but pulled back from their third kiss in order to finally hand Bitty his flowers. With one arm now free he was able to hold Bitty's hand and drag his own suitcase behind them as they waited for Bitty's suitcase to arrive at baggage claim.

"I'm so relieved," Jack said with a sigh.

"Relieved?"

"I thought maybe I freaked you out with the skype stuff. I know a lot of guys do that sorta thing on roadies, but you were acting kinda funny after that talk with my parents so I maybe I made you more uncomfortable with the idea. I didn't hear from you last night, so I kinda took the hint. I promise I don't want to do anything you're not 100% on board with."

Bitty glanced around but nobody seemed to be paying any particular attention to them. "I-- I feel like I was pushing the idea more than you."

"Yeah, but I thought maybe you felt pressured to try it. You said you've never done that before, and it can be a bit nerve wracking the first time."

It wasn't until that moment that it occurred to Bitty that Jack was not a total stranger to the concept of skype sex like Bitty was. He'd been in the league for years, and was dating or engaged to a woman for at least a few of those years. Jack had also made it very clear their first night together that he didn't hook up on the road, even when single -- it made sense that might participate in some long-distance amorous activity. "I knew your angles were a little too perfect to be a fluke in those post-run selfies..."

Jack went to reassure him, but realized Bitty was grinning. "Haha. Yeah, I may have learned what works for me a while ago. Still haven't done that in about a year though. Like riding a bike, I guess."

Bitty snickered. "Another of your many talents. Much-appreciated talents."

"Haha." Jack smiled and gave Bitty's hand a little squeeze.

"Is it really okay to be seen like this in such a public place? I thought there was a plan in place with the Falcs about how and when you were going to come out."

Jack laughed but there was a small strain to it. "There was..." He cleared his throat. "So I kinda did something that maybe I shouldn't have..."

"Oh?"

"Remember Amanda? The drunk girl from that bachelorette party?"

Normally "drunk girl at bachelorette party" would be too vague a description, especially for someone like Bitty who worked in a bar, but he knew exactly who Jack meant. She made quite a first impression. "Yes."

"And remember when we went skating and that little girl fell down and her mom asked for a picture?"

"...Yes?" Bitty could not even begin to imagine where this story was going.

"I guess they know some mutual people or something, and Amanda found out that the woman posted the photo thinking you were my brother."

"Oh lord..." Bitty laughed. "Just skating 'round holding hands with my brother like everyone does all the time."

Jack chuckled a little uneasily. "So... she sent me the link to the post and I may have commented on it to clarify. There was a big debate going on in the comments and someone was insisting that my mom's wikipedia page only says me as her kid, and stuff like that. So I figured I'd just say like 'haha he's my boyfriend' but I guess word spread a little faster than I expected."

"How fast?"

"Um..." Jack pulled out his phone and showed the history of eight calls back and forth with his agent. "That was just this morning before my flight left. And one during my stopover. I think I might have to have a little meeting tonight with the Falcs office too to figure out the details of how things are gonna go."

Bitty looked around. "At least there isn't press swarming the baggage carousel."

"Yeah, I don't think anyone knew I was flying back today, or at least which connecting flight. And all the travellers are distracted trying to get home after the holidays."

"And yet you show up with a bouquet of roses when you're meant to be flying under the radar," Bitty teased.

Jack shrugged, a grin on his lips. "Yup. Missed ya too much. Had to do it."

"Hmm..." Bitty playfully bumped his shoulder against Jack. He thought he spotted his suitcase tumble down onto the conveyor belt, but it would still take a minute to come around to where they were standing. "Hey, I..."

"Hm?"

"I know this is weird timing, and please, there's no pressure to reciprocate right now, but I love you and I just wanted to let you know that." Bitty glanced up at Jack and then down at someone else's suitcase scrolling by. 

Jack squeezed Bitty's hand and planted a kiss against his hair. "I love you too."

Bitty resisted the urge to ask Jack if he was sure, and instead let himself embrace how he felt in that moment. "I probably could have picked a more romantic place to tell you so..." He laughed.

"Airports are very romantic."

"Rushing off the escalator into your arms while you give me flowers is romantic. Watching my suitcase slowly come around at baggage claim is less so."

Jack shrugged. "I have no complaints. A+ romance, Bittle."

"I appreciate your feedback," Bitty replied with a laugh and Jack squeezed his hand again. "Oh shoot, there's my bag!"

Bitty reluctantly let go of Jack's hand and passed the bouquet back to him in order to grab his suitcase as it passed by. He returned triumphant and took the flowers back from Jack, both realizing that between the two suitcases and the bouquet, they now didn't have an opportunity to hold hands. "Damn. What I wouldn't give for a third arm right now."

Bitty laughed. "Why don't we hurry on home before you start sprouting any extra limbs."

"Haha." Jack used his free hand to request a rideshare and they were soon on their way. He gave Bitty another kiss in the back seat. "You didn't tell me how your family thing went yesterday. Was it fun seeing everyone after being away all year?"

Bitty sucked in a tight breath. "Well... Only one uncle put too much rum in his egg nog and told me I was going to burn in hell, so that's overall good."

Jack's face fell. "What?"

Bitty shrugged. "I'm from the south, honey. Like, the conservative, small town, football and Jesus kind of south. I'm relieved it was only one relative who said it. And I'm lucky that my parents have never said it either."

Jack frowned. "I don't know if I would call that '_lucky_'..."

"It wasn't as bad as it sounds, really. I..." Bitty sighed. "I didn't go home for Christmas last year. I couldn't handle the looks and the gossip and the talk about finding me the 'right' girl."

"Oh."

"But it was different this year. I'm different. I've grown a lot in the past year, and I'm really trying to set some healthy boundaries." Bitty squeezed Jack's hand. "I told my parents about how happy I am with you, I corrected every girlfriend question by saying I had a boyfriend, I had a big talk with my father... And worked through some things with my mama on the drive to the airport. Little steps, but steps in the right direction at least. I'm proud of _myself_."

"You should be proud. That sounds like a lot to deal with. I'm proud of you too." 

"Thanks, sweetheart." Bitty leaned over to rest his head on Jack's shoulder, but it wasn't as comfortable with the middle seat between them as he'd hoped. "I'm happy to be home. I just want to curl up with-- Where are we getting dropped off?"

"I think I put my address but we can change it if you want."

"No, that's okay. You have that cozy fireplace in your room and I think you've missed me just enough to let me use it."

Jack chuckled. "Wrong. I missed you that much on day two."

Bitty pretended to be insulted. "Not day one?"

"Day one was close..." Jack looped his arm around Bitty's and held his hand. "Not enough to turn my bedroom into an oven, though. I mean, I know you like baking and all but _come on_, Bittle."

"You're cute," Bitty said with a happy sigh. "You didn't really tell me how your 'revelling' thing went. I know we talked for a bit during it, but..."

"Réveillon?"

"Wow, I wasn't even close to pronouncing that right."

Jack snickered. "Close enough."

"Well?" Bitty saw Jack's hesitation to actually talk about his Christmas celebration. "Don't hold back on account of me. My shindig wasn't a total bust. I may be the first of the Bittle-Phelps clan to come out, but one of my little cousins is non-binary-- I say 'little' but they're nearly 21-- anyway we had each other's backs throughout the night when it came to the passive-aggressive compliments and had fun comparing notes."

"My night was good. If anyone had anything bad to say, they saved it for the next morning when backs were turned. When I was little we used to have to go to midnight mass with my great-grandparents, but now usually one of my aunts just takes my grandma and the rest of us get an early start on the party." Jack chuckled.

"Only your aunt and grandmother go?"

"Yeah, church isn't really a big thing anymore. There was a big separation from the Catholic church years back. Some of the older generations stuck with it, but in general..." Jack trailed off. "Honestly Québec is kinda a mess right now when it comes to religion stuff. It's all been taken too far. That night was a lot of eating, drinking, and arguing about politics."

"Sounds like our family gatherings have a lot in common."

"Haha. Right? My mom wouldn't stop talking about how handsome you were after that skype call, by the way."

"Oh lord..."

"She was like 'his smile could light up a room' and 'he has the most darling accent' and stuff like that. And then my dad brought up that dead bird museum date to everyone and they all agreed that I should probably just marry you if you were willing to date me after that."

Bitty blushed at the idea of all those people discussing him in such a flattering way. "That date wasn't so bad, I still had a lot of fun."

"Except when that bird wing touched your face," Jack pointed out just to mess with him.

Bitty shuddered at the memory. "You should be commended for still wanting to date someone who was surely infested with some form of mites."

Jack laughed, then laughed harder when he noticed the driver peer back at them in the rearview mirror. "He's not infested with anything."

Bitty groaned and covered his face. "I should stop talking on all forms of transportation. I can't believe I did that twice in one hour."

"Oh? Well, I need to hear more about that immediately," Jack elbowed him playfully.

"Just this thing on the plane as we taxied to the gate. I got all of your texts coming in one after another and people were giving me funny looks for having something just vibrating away in my pocket."

"Oops, haha. Sorry," said Jack. He did not look sorry.

"So to put everyone's mind at ease, I, a man travelling alone, decided to provide an explanation for what was happening."

"Uh oh."

"Now, you'd think I would say something like 'that's just my phone' or 'I'm getting a lot of texts' but do you want guess what I announced to all those curious and concerned ears?"

Jack snickered. "I can't even guess but I'm dying to know."

"I declared for all to hear, 'I haven't seen my boyfriend in 6 days!' Yes sir, that is what I chose to say out of all the words in the universe."

Jack's snicker became full laughter. "That didn't ease anyone's mind?"

"It did not."

"Aww, Bits... Wish I could've been there."

"To laugh at me or support me?"

"Yes."

Bitty chuckled. "I figured as much."

They arrived at Jack's apartment and brought their suitcases inside. Bitty toed off his shoes and quickly set the bouquet down on Jack's kitchen counter before turning back around and nearly leaping into Jack's arms. Jack eagerly kissed him back with the kind of intensity they hadn't dared back at the airport.

"I know you probably have a bunch of calls to make--"

"Who cares?" Jack hooked his hands around the back of Bitty's thighs and lifted him up easily, earning a surprised yet delighted yelp from Bitty.

"I spent so much of my life loathing that I was so small compared to all the other boys, but--" Bitty wrapped his legs around Jack's waist. "I guess I learned something about me today. Fuck this is so hot."

"Shoulder's all healed up now, eh?" 

"Forget the flowers -- this is my real gift, isn't-- Jack! We forgot the flowers!" Bitty squirmed out of his grasp.

"What do you mean? You put them right over there," Jack said, pointing to the counter.

"We have to put them in water or something first, because once I get you in that bedroom I'm not expecting we'll be leaving it again for multiple hours."

"Ohh, well in that case..." Jack grinned.

Bitty, now mostly accustomed to Jack's kitchen set to preparing the bouquet for a vase. "Can you grab a vase that these will fit in?"

"Haha. I don't think I have a vase."

Bitty looked at him with a distressed whimper. "But-- Jack, they're going to wilt!"

"Did you want to go home and-- Oh wait! Would this work?" Jack reached into his recycling bin and removed an empty protein powder container. "I'll wash it out, obviously."

"That works." Bitty finished trimming while Jack quickly washed the container and added the fresh water and plant food. Bitty gently put the flowers inside and smiled. There was something about beautiful roses in a jug of protein powder that epitomized Jack in a way Bitty could not articulate. "_Perfect_."

"We're good?" Jack asked and Bitty nodded, still smiling at the flowers. "Good!" He swooped down and caught Bitty in a fireman's lift, tossing him over his shoulder and bringing him to the bedroom. 

"I haven't even taken my coat off!" Bitty protested with a laugh as he was deposited on Jack's bed. 

Jack, who had shed his outerwear when Bitty had first started attending to the bouquet, turned around and stepped away from the bed. "Better get on that, Bits."

"Where are you going?" The words were barely out of Bitty's mouth when he realized Jack had grabbed a remote from his bookshelf. 

"I've never actually used this thing, but here goes nothing." He shrugged and tried a few buttons until the electric fireplace beeped and roared to life. "Hey, there ya go!" Jack said happily.

Bitty got out of the bed and took off his coat, then his sweater. He was nearly out of his jeans when Jack turned back around. "So... since you got your fireplace working, and seeing that it shares a wall with your nice big bathroom..."

"Yeah?"

"And that bathroom contains a nice big shower fit for two... and a nice big bathtub also fit for two..."

"I think I see where this is going..." Jack grinned and unzipped his hoodie.

"I'm going to go take a shower to wash off that travel grime while you unpack," Bitty teased and tried to bolt past Jack but was caught easily in his arms. He yelped and burst out laughing.

"I've been traveling longer than you, Bittle. You had a direct flight," Jack argued and attempted to pull Bitty away from the bathroom door to get past him. He laughed at how impossible it was to hold Bitty back as he squirmed past. 

"I suppose I could share that nice big shower and nice big bathtub with my nice big boyfriend..." Bitty said with a teasing roll of his eyes.

"Only if you want. All jokes aside--"

"Jack, for the love of--" Bitty pulled him in for a longing kiss. "That was the whole point. Let's go." Bitty shed the rest of his clothing and tugged impatiently to get the hoodie off of Jack's shoulders. 

Jack, true to the frustratingly playful mood he was in, stepped back and began undressing slower than he ever had in his life. "Aren't you impatient today?"

"This coming from the man who sent me a thousand texts in the span of half an hour."

"You make a good point Bits," Jack said, and Bitty eyed him suspiciously. "I had to wait over half an hour for you earlier, so... maybe you should return the favour now..."

"Jack Laurent Zimmermann so help me god if you take half an hour to get undressed I will break up with you."

Jack chuckled. "You just told me you loved me, so I don't think you will..."

"I will love you **_less_**," Bitty threatened unconvincingly. 

Jack pulled his t-shirt off and grinned at Bitty. "Better?"

"_Better_, but not good enough."

"I think I need your help here."

Bitty scoffed but was not about to pass up an invitation to get his hands on Jack even sooner. The moment he touched him it was like flipping a switch. Jack spun him around and pressed Bitty against the wall, kissing him passionately. "That's more like it."

"I've been waiting to do this all week..." Jack started kissing a trail downwards, but Bitty guided him back up from his knees. "Do you want me to stop?"

"Not really, but... my condoms are in your nightstand."

"I know," Jack whispered in Bitty's ear and kissed his neck. "I didn't want to use one for this."

Bitty's eyes went wide. "Oh!"

"What do you think?"

"It's not a _hard_ no--" Bitty regretted his choice of words as soon as they left his mouth.

Jack snickered. "It feels pretty ha--"

"Shush, forget I said it that way. I'm not _opposed_ to the idea, but..."

Jack stopped joking around and placed a gentle kiss on Bitty's forehead. "But?"

"I wasn't entirely joking earlier about feeling grimey from travelling. I'll enjoy myself a lot more after a quick shower -- I think we both will."

Jack smiled and kissed him on the lips. "Well, what are we waiting for? Stop wasting time, Bits. Let's get in that shower already."

Bitty shook his head head with a laugh. He gave Jack's ass a firm slap as he walked past him and stepped into the shower. "I'm waiting, Mr. Zimmermann."

"Haha."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will have a trigger warning about a situation a character talks about, but for now I hope you enjoyed the flirty fluff lol


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter references a past attempt at non-consensual sex, specifically "stealthing" which is when someone secretly removes a condom during sex. It doesn't go into detail, but I wanted to make sure the warning was there.

Jack collapsed forward onto his stomach, breathing heavy but looking satisfied. "Fuck, Bits... I-- _hooooo_ boy..." he shuddered as a residual wave of pleasure rolled down his body.

Bitty rolled over onto his side and removed his condom, tossing it into the trash bin with Jack's. "I'd say round three was a success, wouldn't you?"

Jack let out an exhausted chuckle. "Yeah."

Bitty leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the bridge of Jack's nose. "Glad to hear it." He slid down onto his side and snuggled up to Jack. It was only a matter of minutes before he'd be too cold to stay above the covers, but for now he was warmed enough by his leg hooked over Jack's thigh. He draped an arm across Jack's back and idly rubbed his hand back and forth.

"That feels good."

"Good." Bitty kissed Jack's shoulder. The sex was always incredible, but this was his favourite part. The lazy, languid moments basking in the afterglow when they just kissed and touched, both knowing it wouldn't lead anywhere further.

"That-- Everything felt so good, Bits. If..." Jack let out a breathy chuckle. "I can't even think straight right now, eugh. If you want to do that again sometime, I'm on board. I either forgot how it felt or you're just that good, but..." he trailed off.

Bitty kissed his shoulder again, then his cheek, then his lips. "I think you just forgot how it felt after so long -- I'm not experienced enough with topping to have any particularly special technique."

"I mean... last time was probably... five years ago? And that was just once. And kinda rushed. And before that... haha, I think it was back in the Q."

"Hm..." Bitty didn't need Jack to elaborate to know who he meant. He'd told Bitty already about his past with Kent Parson. "Well, that proves my point. Fumbling teenagers and quickies aren't ideal for first times, or first-in-a-while times. That's why we take things slow to really _enjoy_ it."

"Haha, yeah."

Bitty gave him one more kiss before shifting away. "Okay. You can lie there in all your glory, but I'm getting under the covers because I am freezing again."

"The fireplace is still on," Jack pointed out with a grin.

"Not warm enough." Bitty walked over to the bottom drawer of Jack's dresser where half of the space had been cleared out for some of Bitty's things. He pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a long-sleeved Falconers shirt. He pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a tank top from the middle drawer and tossed them at Jack. "I appreciate the view very much, but it is December and you can't be getting sick sleeping naked on top of the covers like that."

Jack rolled his eyes, then rolled his body out of bed briefly to get dressed. When Bitty slipped under the blanket, Jack climbed onto the bed behind him, bunching up the comforter to keep Bitty as warm as possible while spooning him from on top of the blanket. "How's this?"

"_Heavenly_."

Jack snickered and kissed a spot behind Bitty's ear. He nuzzled his soft blond hair, a little disappointed that it smelled like Jack's own boring 2-in-1 shampoo instead of whatever kind Bitty had at home. He sighed softly. "Hey... Did I freak you out earlier? About the condom stuff?"

Bitty's shoulders tensed, betraying him before he even had a chance to voice his denial. "No. Not exactly..."

"Bits?"

Bitty sighed. "I don't really mind as much for oral sex -- the shower was certainly fun, but... going without for anything _further_ than that makes me a little nervous."

"Can I ask why? Is it just that you haven't done it before?"

"I have... sort of."

Jack frowned. "I don't think I like the way you said that. You don't have to tell me if you don't want, but it worries me."

"It was just this dumb thing that happened with my ex and that other boyfriend of his. There were a couple weeks there that we tried to do a throuple-type thing, and one of the times -- the **_last_** time -- we were all in bed together, the other guy tried stealthing me. My ex-boyfriend-- ugh, _our_ boyfriend at the time noticed what he was doing and stopped him, but ever since... I've alway been careful, you know? And my ex respected that at least, because I know he didn't always use protection with the other guy so he agreed to with me. I naïvely didn't realize that someone would even try."

"Fuck, I'm so sorry that happened to you."

"Things were going okay, and then all of a sudden my ex just shouts 'what the fuck are you doing, I told you he's not okay with that' and we all got in a big fight and I left..." Bitty scoffed. "It wasn't until I got home that it really hit me what a violation it was.

"It was the beginning of the end of that whole relationship, obviously. The 'throuple' experiment was officially over, but my ex didn't break up with him and... I trusted that he never tried that, but... what does it say about him if he was okay being with someone who would? And what did it say about me that I was okay being with someone like him then? I tried so hard to keep our relationship together after that. Like... I have my flaws, sure, but really? I wasn't as awful as that other guy, at the very least."

"It's okay, c'mere..." Jack gently prodded him to roll over so they were facing each other.

It wasn't until Jack was kissing the tears off his cheeks that Bitty even realized he was crying. He pulled away and wiped his eyes with the corner of the blanket. "So stupid, why am I even crying? Barely nothing happened. I think it's residual from being back in Georgia, and--"

Jack pulled him in close and kissed his forehead. "It wasn't 'nothing,' Bits. Eric. You have every right to be upset by it. Whatever you feel about it is valid, you don't have to bottle it all up."

"You sound like a therapist."

"I've been around a lot of them in my life." Jack chuckled softly against Bitty's hair. "Have you ever talked to anybody about this?"

"I told my friend Lardo, but not any of the guys. She can keep things quiet without causing a big scene, and all the guys already hated my ex so much... I think she might have told Shitty at some point, but I never confirmed. He saw me at the start of a shift one time and just pulled me in for a really long hug -- like _really_ long -- and told me he loved me and that I deserved great things. My gut told me he found out somehow, but he's never brought it up."

"You _do_ deserve great things."

"Thanks, honey."

Jack brushed a thumb against Bitty's cheek. "Thank you for trusting me with this. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I promise you'll never have to worry about that with me, okay? I won't do anything you're not 100% on board with. I won't ask the condom thing again."

"I... Well, no." Bitty sighed. "It's okay to _ask_. Like I said, I'm okay with some stuff, I'm just not ready to go 'all the way' yet."

"I'm more than okay with that. I don't want to either unless you're completely comfortable."

"You're one of the good ones, Jack Zimmermann." Bitty tucked his head under Jack's chin. "What time is your big meeting?"

"I think 6 o'clock."

"What time is it now?"

"It's..." Jack rolled away with a reluctant groan in order to see the clock on his radio. "Shit. It's 5:48pm." Instead of getting out of bed he rolled back, draping an arm and a leg over the lump of blankets that contained Bitty. "I don't want to leave you..."

The "like this" was implied without Jack needing to say it. "It's okay, Jack. I'm a big boy. I can entertain myself for a couple of hours while you're at one of the most important meetings of your career."

"I'll be back as soon as I can." Jack gave him a kiss and hurried from the room to find his phone. He had over a dozen missed calls. As he was about to call his agent back, a call came in from Georgia Martin. "Hey George."

"Jack! Oh my god, finally! Perry and I have been trying to reach you. Your plane landed four hours ago where have you been?"

"I was... in the shower," Jack replied. It wasn't entirely a lie, he had been in the shower for some of that time.

"Uh-huh." Georgia didn't sound convinced, but she also didn't press the issue. "Looks like almost everyone is here. Are you on your way?"

"I'm running a little late, just gotta brush my teeth and I'll be out the door. I should be there maybe five minutes late."

"Okay. See you soon."

Jack doubled back through the bedroom to his bathroom in order to brush his teeth. When he was finished, he couldn't resist pausing at the bed to give Bitty another quick kiss.

Bitty giggled. "Hurry up, you goon! You already told your boss you took a two hour long shower, you don't have any more excuses!"

Jack snickered. "Couldn't help it. Had to kiss ya."

"Charmer."

******

It took nearly two and a half hours for Jack to get home, but there had been a short break after the first hour when he was able to check in with Bitty. Bitty, true to his word, kept busy in Jack's absence. 

He put a load of Jack's clothing from his trip in the washing machine, taking advantage of the opportunity to toss some of his things in as well. He ordered Chinese takeout from a menu stuck to Jack's fridge with a Falconers magnet, making sure to include the circled items that showed what Jack had ordered previously. 

While he waited for the food to be delivered, Bitty dared to check social media for reactions about Jack. The response was mostly to be expected. Without a formal statement, the "news" articles covering it were simple and mostly speculative. The debate on twitter was full steam with "I'll believe it when I see its" and "he probably got hackeds" alongside excited responses of "FINALLY" from hockey fans and non-fans alike.

@GrilldCheezuz: Lol no wonder his wife left him

@FalcsFan08: I hate that trade even more now. we lost zaytsev and a draft pic for this?

@ChaddingtonIII : I guess zimmermann sucks OFF the ice too 

@lacrossestar248573 : fuckinv homos in everything nowadays!!! Is no place sacred??? 

@pvdfalcs4ever: could've told you that yrs ago. Everyone knows the rumors with parson

@maga2022: don't drop the soap in that locker room jfc

@maga2022: all the other teams worried about flu season. @PVDFalcsNHL better worry about AIDS season lmao

Bitty was about to give up when one last tweet caught his eye.

@kell_ee03: OMG FUCK YES!!! I MET THEM A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND THEY'RE BOTH AMAZING! @bthomps LOOK!!!

Below it she added an "it's happening" gif from The Office. Bitty realized she was one of the kids they had played shinny with on their third date. He clicked on the person she had tagged, and the pinned tweet for that account melted away all the negativity he had been feeling.

There was a picture of the two boys who had played on Jack's team, Blaine and Travis, with their arms around each other, followed by a thread of tweets telling of how an unnamed professional hockey player and his boyfriend changed his life in one afternoon. He came out and got his first boyfriend on the same day. He said that he had started giving up on hockey because he didn't think someone gay could ever make it to the NHL, but learning that a professional player had a boyfriend and was about to come out renewed his hope that he could make it someday too.

Right. That's what was really important here. Jack had been saying so since their first date. He had spent his entire life with anonymous strangers talking trash about him for one unfounded reason or another. Jack knew the negativity that would come with this, but he still felt it was worth it. He felt Bitty was worth it. 

Jack had sat on Bitty's old couch and given him an out after they heard the sports analyst's cutting words, because he already knew where it was all leading. While Bitty was trying his best not to get ahead of himself, Jack was running scenarios through his mind of all the ways the backlash might play out -- and however bad he imagined it getting, he was willing to risk it all for a chance to be with Bitty.

The thoughts rattled around in Bitty's mind as he ate dinner and switched the laundry into the dryer. He was still thinking about it when Jack came home.

"Bits?" Jack called out when he entered his condo.

"I'm in here, sweetheart!" Bitty called from the other room.

Jack walked to his bedroom and then continued on through to the en suite bathroom. "Still got that fireplace going, eh?"

"It's romantic. I was hoping you'd like to join--" Bitty burst into laughter when he turned his head to find Jack nearly inhaling chop suey from the takeout container. "Sexy."

"Sorry, that meeting went so long and I'm starving."

"Just remember to chew and breathe, that's all I ask."

"No promises," Jack replied through a muffled mouthful of food.

Bitty waited, watching Jack stand in the middle of the bathroom and shovel cold Chinese takeout into his face from the comfort of a warm bath. It almost struck him as sweetly domestic, except for the fact that he was confident it wasn't a scenario married couples _frequently_ experienced. 

Waiting for your significant other to finish eating? Yes. Having a conversation with your significant other while they're taking a bath? Yes. But the combination of the two? Unlikely.

Jack gave a small gasp of air and set the container down on the vanity. Bitty laughed. "You good?"

"I forgot to breathe. Fuck, I was so hungry." Jack unbuttoned his shirt. "I think you were saying something about me joining you?"

"Mmhmm." Bitty nodded. "But if you're still hungry, honey, please go eat."

"I'm good for now." Jack finished undressing and climbed into the opposite end of the tub. "You didn't want to use the jets?"

"I did for a bit, but I wanted to be able to hear you come home. It would have scared the living bejeezus out of me if you just walked up behind me from nowhere."

"Haha." Jack slipped over to Bitty's side of the tub with only his head and shoulders above the water. He hit the button to turn on the jacuzzi jets, then settled himself between Bitty's legs, with his back against his chest. "Can you breathe?"

"Yes sweetpea, I can still breathe. You're not going to crush me." Bitty scooped up some water with his hands and gently splashed it over Jack's shoulders, then scooped a little more to dampen Jack's hair. "How was the meeting?"

"It was good, actually. We figured out a draft of a statement for me to post on social media, and what kind of interviews I'd be willing to do. A lot of the stuff was already in the works, this just kinda sped up the timeline."

"I'm happy to hear it went smoothly. Nobody gave you a hard time about how it happened? Were they upset that we've been going on dates in public?"

"Nah, they were okay with that. George chirped me a bit about rushing ahead with an instagram comment, but she found it funnier that the woman thought we were brothers in the first place."

Bitty chuckled. "That was absurd, wasn't it?"

"Haha, yeah." Jack turned his head and kissed the nape of Bitty's neck.

"So, I checked out twitter to see how widespread your coming out news was..."

"Bits."

"I know, I know. It was mostly positive though! Some nasty trolls, but that's to be expected."

"Ugh, yeah."

"I stumbled across one particularly interesting thread though..." Bitty dried his hand on a nearby towel and picked up his phone.

"Haha don't drop that in the water," Jack teased.

"I'll try my very best," Bitty said as he searched out the series of tweets. "It's from a former teammate of yours..." he prefaced.

"Is that good or bad? Wait-- was it Parse?"

"No, honey. Much more recent than that." Bitty kissed his cheek and continued. "It starts with, 'This is my best friend @travisbeskating. We've known each other since we were 8 years old. He's also my boyfriend now.' That name sound familiar?"

"Travis? I don't think-- the teenagers!" Jack laughed and turned around a little to see Bitty's head nodding. "You were right about them!"

"Of course I was, sugar." Bitty grinned.

"Shoot, what was the other kid's name?"

"Blaine. Blaine goes on saying, 'this is how it happened. We were playing shinny with my sister and her boyfriend like we do every week, when all of a sudden someone asks if he and his friend can join. I'm going to be a little vague about describing him for reasons I'll explain in a minute, but he's a PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY PLAYER. Obviously we call dibs on him and my sister invites his friend to be on her team. For reasons I can't explain in case it gives too big of a hint about who it was, this professional hockey player was a bit of a dud on the ice that day'. Oops."

Jack laughed. "Hey, the kid's not wrong."

Bitty continued reading. "Oh lord this part is about me. 'His friend on the other hand, was kicking our team's ass. I asked the professional guy where he knew this other guy from, because I didn't understand why he wasn't in the NHL or something. What happened next literally changed my life.' Awww. 'He said they were boyfriends. Just like that. No hesitation. I honestly couldn't believe it. He could have said any lie and I wouldn't have known better, but nope!' Oh this next part is so cute."

"Don't leave me hanging here, Bits. The suspense is killing me."

Bitty laughed. "Aren't you impatient today?" He teased, using the same line Jack had told him earlier. "So he continues, 'the next thing I know I'm hugging this very famous person and telling him that I'm gay. I literally never said the words out loud before, but there I was on the verge of tears in the middle of a public rink. Everyone freaked out because WHY would I be doing that what's wrong with me? And it was just a domino effect from there. I came out to my sister and her boyfriend. And Travis. He gave me a big hug and it was a huge relief. I was so afraid he'd be freaked out if I told him I was gay.' Then he wrote 'lolll' with three Ls."

"Aww, that's so cute."

"Oh honey, it gets even cuter. So Blaine says, 'the PHP--' oh, he shortens it from here on out instead of saying professional hockey player every time. It uses up so much of each tweet. This thread is so long. Anyway-- 'the PHP and his boyfriend were talking about some hot cocoa or something, so Travis asked me to grab some Dunkin on the way home. So we were sitting in my car in the parking lot for privacy, because I thought he wanted to talk about finding out I was gay. Well, he DID. But not the way I was expecting.' Apparently not," Bitty chuckled.

"Haha."

"I should note that @travisbeskating has commented with little heart emojis or kissy-faces on every single one of these tweets."

"Aww."

"It's _impossibly_ cute. But here's the part I really want you to hear -- 'I was scared when I realized I was gay. I didn't know what my family or friends would think. I was giving up on hockey, because I didn't think I'd ever have a chance unless I stayed in the closet. But the PHP wasn't hiding anything. He's coming out publicly soon, I think so I don't want to out him or anything. I hope he's sees this though. I'm gonna keep trying with hockey, and my coach bumped me up to the second line now that I've been putting in the extra work. I hope I can get good enough to make a college team. I have a school in mind (but more on that later)' he adds in quotation marks," Bitty said.

"You told them you went to Samwell, maybe that's the school."

"Oh, wouldn't that be the sweetest thing?" Bitty laughed. "He finishes off by saying, 'so that's how I came out, got a boyfriend, and decided to keep playing hockey all in one afternoon. Thank you, PHP.' Oh! He retweeted the thread since I checked last." Bitty showed Jack the screen. 

"Haha. 'Cat's out of the bag, I guess. It was Jack Zimmermann'. Is it weird if I write back to him?"

"Maybe wait until we're out of the bath," Bitty teased. "Do you even have twitter?"

"Oh, haha. Yeah, maybe not. I guess you don't want all that attention on your account."

"I'm not worried about that, per se. It's twitter, something new will be trending tomorrow even if a reply ends up getting attention."

"Okay, after the bath then," Jack said and turned his head to kiss Bitty. "Thanks for showing me that, Bits. It means a lot."

Bitty hugged Jack with his whole body. "I'm so proud of you honey. I know it might be a bit of a battle with the press for a while, but I promise it will be worth it. I'll be here for you every step of the way."

Jack exhaled quietly. "Wow."

"Hm?"

"I just really, really love you, ya know? I... The stuff my parents used to tell me finally makes sense."

"Your parents who got engaged after only three months of dating?" Bitty teased, his heart skipping a beat.

"Yeah. When you know you know, right? I mean -- obviously no rush and stuff, but just so you know... _I know_."

"You're sure about that, huh?" Bitty asked, pretending to be skeptical.

"I've been sure for a while now."

A laugh escaped Bitty's lips. "How long is 'a while?' We've only been dating for a month, sweetheart." He played with Jack's hair.

"Probably day one, maybe day two. _Definitely_ by our second date."

Bitty snickered. "Because I didn't call everything off during that horror tour of taxidermied animals?"

"Haha yeah. I mean, my dad has a point." Jack grinned.

"So if I said, 'let's run down to City Hall right now and get hitched'--"

"I think they're closed right now, but if you can wait for the morning..." Jack chuckled. "Listen, I'm all in. If you want to wait a day, or a year, or _ten_ years -- I'm good with that. I don't mind waiting, I mean it. No rush, but when you're ready..."

"As crazy as it sounds to say this to a handsome millionaire who is the sweetest man I've ever met -- I'm going to need a little more time before we go walking down any aisles," Bitty said gently.

"I'm okay with that."

"I'd be lying if I said there wasn't part of me seriously considering that City Hall trip in the morning," Bitty felt the urge to explain. "But--"

"Bits, I'm serious. I didn't say that to pressure you. You don't need to explain." Jack lifted Bitty's hand out of the water and kissed it. "I rushed it and ruined everything, huh? I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Bitty nuzzled his head against the nape of Jack's neck. "You didn't ruin a thing, sweetpea." He gave Jack an extra squeeze too, for good measure. "But I only told my parents about you yesterday, and if I go running off to get married to a boy I 'just met' I will never hear the end of it from my mama."

"And your dad?"

"He's... I don't know. I know he loves me, and he's trying. They both are. I just wish they didn't need to **_try_**. Growing up, I used to think my mama was my best friend and I wasn't even embarrassed to say it. And she always reassured me that my daddy 'would walk through fire' for me, even if he didn't show it. But..." Bitty paused, his voice sad and quiet. "I really _needed_ him to show it."

"I'm sorry," Jack said sympathetically.

"I know I'm not the son that 'Coach' thought he was getting the day I was born -- I've _always_ known. And it's nice that we can talk about football and he's tried to take me on fishing trips... but why did I always have to be the one trying, you know? I wasn't _that_ kid. And Mama was always happy to encourage my 'non-traditional hobbies' but I didn't--" Bitty's voice cracked. "When I came out she took it all so personal, you know? Like 'why didn't you tell me sooner? I thought you trusted me' and things like that. I still don't know how to tell her that it's never been about her -- or Daddy. I'm just me. Why can't I be good enough as-is? Why does every part of me have to be a reflection on _them?_"

Jack gave Bitty a small nudge and started getting out of the bath. "Come on, I can't cuddle you properly in here."

Bitty smiled. "Oh honey, you don't have to worry about me. I shouldn't be such a downer--"

"No. This is good. I think it's important to talk about this." He quickly dried his torso and then wrapped a towel around his waist, then grabbed a second one for Bitty. 

Bitty turned off the jets and unplugged the stopper in the tub before also climbing out. "This is a really big tub. You know that I actually floated in it a little earlier?"

Jack snickered and grabbed a third towel, wrapping it around Bitty's shoulders and using it to pull him in for a kiss. "Wait here."

Bitty continued drying off and had just pulled on his pajamas when Jack returned clothed and with something behind his back. His mind immediately went to 'engagement ring' despite Jack reassuring him minutes earlier that he would wait until Bitty was ready. "What have you got there, Mr. Zimmermann?"

"I know we said no Christmas gifts, because you didn't want me spending money on you, but... I really couldn't resist with this one." Jack pulled out a thick, fluffy housecoat and matching slippers. "You get cold so much."

Bitty laughed. "I _do_ get cold so much. Thank you, sweetheart." Bitty untied the ribbon wrapped around it and quickly put on the housecoat. "Oh good lord this is soft. It's like wearing a cloud."

Jack snickered. "Good to know, because I bought one myself."

"Matching housecoats? Honey, that's really gay," Bitty chirped and Jack laughed.

"I mean..." Jack shrugged his shoulders as he put on his own housecoat then crawled into bed, lifting the covers in an invitation for Bitty to join him.

Not like Bitty needed any convincing -- he scurried under the blankets and into Jack's waiting arms. "This is so cozy."

"Good." Jack tucked the blanket snug around Bitty's back and propped his pillow under both of their heads.

"Your pillow is going to get wet, we haven't dried our hair."

"Housecoat's got a hood, no worries." Jack tugged his over his head and Bitty did the same. "So..." Jack said with a gentle smile, trying to prompt Bitty back to their earlier conversation. 

"Oh sweetheart, I don't know what else to even say. I was just venting a little."

"Then vent. You have my undivided attention."

Bitty sighed softly, knowing Jack wasn't going to give in. "I think I just spent so much of my life trying to be whoever they wanted me to be, contorting myself every which way, but... I'm gay. That's nothing I can change -- believe me, if I could I would have in a _heartbeat_ back in middle school -- and it's... I didn't even get a haircut that my mama wouldn't approve of until I was 19 years old. I've spent hours at a time talking football with my daddy even though I played hockey. Is it so much to ask them to bend a little for once? To accept a core, unchangeable thing about me after a lifetime of compromise on my part? Lord, I love them so much, but there's a part of me that still resents them a little. Isn't that awful to say?"

"I understand that, though. I don't think you're asking too much."

"Right? It's not like I'm asking them to go around bragging 'my son sucks dick' at their 4th of July barbecue."

Jack laughed directly in Bitty's face at that, and it broke the tension that had been building. "Sorry, wow. I didn't expect that."

Bitty chuckled. "It was a touch crass."

"I mean, I hope your parents never brag about something like that, that would be so awkward," Jack pointed out, making Bitty giggle. "Am **_I_** allowed to brag about that, though? You're _very_ good at it." He grinned.

It was Bitty's turn to burst into laughter. He snuggled up a little closer and tucked his head against Jack's chest. "I'm fairly certain you're joking, but just in case... no. Please don't."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Let me know if you change you mind, okay? 'Cuz I would," Jack continued to chirp.

Oh believe me honey, I already _know_ you're a fan."

They continued giggling for a minute before Jack gave Bitty a big hug and sighed. "I'm sorry things have been so stressful with your parents."

"Me too." Bitty sighed. "Thank you, Jack. It feels good to get some of that off my chest."

"I'm glad."

Bitty shifted in Jack's arms so that he could see his face. "I got you a Christmas gift too, of sorts."

"Oh?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"It's an IOU due to a technicality, because I can't actually get it yet."

"I'm even more intrigued now."

"It turns out that there's a Rhode Island Historical Society and they do tours of places that _aren't_ full of dead animals."

Jack grinned. "Sounds fake, but go on."

"So I contacted them about these historical walking tours they do in the summer, but since it's in the summer I can't actually book anything until at least after March when they figure out the general schedules -- and who knows how late your playoff run will go this year."

"They don't do walking tours in the winter?"

"They're an hour and a half long."

"You wouldn't want to join me on a 90 minute walk in the dead of winter to learn about historical buildings?"

"In January? Honey, _nine_ minutes would be pushing it."

Jack snickered. "Summer it is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack Zimmermann is 110% ready to marry Eric Bittle and has been since like 3 days into meeting him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was getting way too long so I decided to break it up into two shorter ones. Enjoy!

**New Year's Eve**

**@omgcheckplease** \- replying to @bthomps: Hey, bud. This is Jack Zimmermann. Happy to hear you're gonna stick it out with hockey a while longer. You have skills. Just wanted to say thanks. I was planning to come out casually as it came up like it was "no big deal" but your reaction helped me realize that I could help a

**@omgcheckplease** \- replying to @bthomps: Oops, haha. I don't have Twitter so I don't know how this character limit thing works. This is Bittle's account. Anyway, I realized that maybe I could help a lot of people if I came out publicly. So thanks for helping me see that. 

**@omgcheckplease** \- replying to @bthomps: Also, sorry I was a "dud" out there last time haha. I warned you that Bittle was the better choice haha. Maybe we'll have a rematch someday now that the shoulder is all healed up. My money is still on Bittle, though.

"Oh my lord, honey!" Bitty laughed when he started getting notifications flooding in on his phone mere minutes later. "Well, that is one way to gain new followers, I suppose. Maybe I should have been taking advantage of this 'famous boyfriend' business all along."

"You're sure you're okay with letting me tweet as you? I didn't think anyone would notice."

"It's fine, sweetheart." Bitty gave Jack a kiss before stretching out on the couch. "I'll forgive you eventually."

"Haha." Jack followed him to the couch, lifting Bitty's feet and sitting down with them now in his lap. "Does this help?" Jack asked as he removed Bitty's slippers and started giving him a foot rub.

"It certainly doesn't hurt. Ah! Okay it hurts a little but in a good way. It's going to be a long night on my feet, that's for sure. Why didn't I book off for tonight?"

"Because you own a bar and it's the busiest drinking night of the year?"

"Do you think anyone would notice if we tripled the drink prices tonight?" Bitty asked jokingly. "Maybe I can make enough profit to finally go on a vacation."

"I'll take you on vacation, Bits. Name the place. I actually wanted to bring that up for 'bye week.' I usually go _somewhere_, most of the guys do. And I won't be in the All-Star game, so I'll actually have all five days to go somewhere. Maybe somewhere warm. **_With you,_ **if you're okay with that."

"Oh. I... I _would_ really like to go somewhere with you..."

"Is it the money thing?"

"Yes," Bitty admitted. "I know you have pure intentions, but I can't help having some knee-jerk reaction to being taken on some lavish vacation."

"We can stay here, too."

Bitty sighed, conflicted. "It _would_ be nice to get away for a few days, though. If I'm being honest, the attention right now is a little much -- online I don't worry too much -- but the photographers camped outside your building is... stressful. A little staycation cooped up in my apartment isn't really ideal either."

"So, what are you thinking?"

"I would have to check with the boys to see if they could spare me at the bar for a few days, but tentatively? Yes."

Jack's face lit up in a way that made Bitty's heart hurt for even considering saying no before. "Really?"

"But-- Nothing too extravagant, okay? If we go zipping off to some $10000 per night resort I will never be able to relax."

"Three star all-inclusive. Got it." Jack grinned and continued to massage Bitty's feet and calves. "We still have some time to figure a place out. I won't decide all on my own unless you want it to be a surprise."

"I wouldn't mind _some_ input."

"Great!"

Bitty sat up and leaned over to give Jack a kiss. "You're wonderful."

"Haha."

"I'm serious. You're just-- you're so thoughtful and... you make me really happy." He nuzzled his head against Jack's shoulder. "How did I get so lucky?"

"I ask myself that a lot lately, too." Jack kissed the top of Bitty's head with a little hum. 

"Are you up for a little midday nap? I think I need one if I'm gonna survive work tonight."

"I could go for a nap." Jack chuckled and before Bitty could process why, Jack was scooping him up in both arms off the couch.

"Ughhh stop reminding me how strong you are or I won't actually want to sleep once we get in my bedroom!" Bitty pretended to complain.

"That sounds like the opposite of a problem to me." 

"Hush," Bitty started as they cuddled up in bed. "Just think unsexy thoughts like I am."

"Haha. What are you thinking about?"

"My first year of college when Ransom and Holster farted into a jar and tried to microwave it." 

Jack was quiet for a moment. "...Did it work?"

"Tell me honey, what outcome of that little experiment could you _possibly_ deem to be a 'successful' one?"

"Good point."

"I didn't stick around to witness the results, but according to the team group chat it was both gross and fine, epic and underwhelming, life-changing and inconclusive."

"And now those two are getting married."

"Yep, and raising a future generation of-- Oh lord. Sweet little Evan is going to be a _disaster_ in college, isn't he?"

"Maybe? Haha."

"Chaotic bro energy always at the max with those guys back in school. I miss those days sometimes, even though I still get to see most of my friends all the time. Planning staff work schedules is not nearly as entertaining as planning kegsters."

"Maybe you're not doing it right."

"Pfft! Yeah, that's probably it."

Jack chuckled quietly and kissed Bitty's hair. "Goodnight, Bits."

"Goodnight, honey."

******

"There's that beautiful little fucker that I love so much!" Shitty grabbed Bitty into a bear hug as soon as he arrived at work. "Yeah, you've been texting and whatever, but now tell me everything in person about how fucked up the past week has been for you."

"Oh lord, where do I even begin?" He slipped behind the bar with Shitty and helped him prep lime wedges and other garnishes for the night.

"The team already knew at least, right?"

"Yeah, they've been really good about it... for the most part."

"Uh oh."

"Just some of the younger guys have been making jokes here and there I guess. Apparently they've been spoken too after something last week. Jack said it was no big deal, though. I overheard a couple comments like that at the holiday party... but the _vast_ majority of the team has been supportive, and I mean _very_ supportive."

"That's good at least, I guess. So Jack's good? You're good?"

"There has been some paparazzi camped outside his building for the past week, so he's been staying at my place most of the time. He went back once for some extra clothes, but other than that it's been my apartment or the rink. He does extra workouts there to avoid being spotted and followed during his usual morning runs. They've increased security at Falcs games too, which both makes me feel better and worries me."

"Hm..."

"Yeah. Apparently some talk show really wants to interview him while he's down in LA next week, but we'll see how that goes. He doesn't really like giving interviews, but..." Bitty shrugged. "So far, it's been good. Game-wise, at least. It's hard to tell when he gets hit if it's just part of the game, because he's 'golden-boy Jack Zimmermann', or..." Bitty trailed off.

"You keep saying things are good but then you follow it up with really troubling stuff," Shitty pointed out.

Bitty sighed. "You know how it is. I went through a degree of it myself in college when I was the first out captain... I know how it feels skating around out there with a target on your back, and it's... scary." Bitty made the mistake of looking up at Shitty's concerned face, and promptly resumed working on the lime wedges. "But Jack's strong, he's much stronger than I was back then -- he'll get through this."

"Bits."

"Carrie Robinson was right, you know? It's much harder watching the games when it's the man you love getting hurt."

Shitty was quiet for a moment. "So... **_Love,_ **huh?"

Bitty blushed a little and smiled. "There you go, one happy thing to come out of all this."

"Have you actually told him and everything?"

"Yeah, after Christmas. I know it seems early, but I just... know."

Shitty smiled and gave Bitty a little nudge with his elbow. "And he's said it back?"

"Yes. He said, well, a lot of things that night -- good things. Nice things." Bitty paused. "I... think I'm going to marry him someday."

"_Really?_" Shitty raised an eyebrow.

"I know it's early and it sounds like I'm rushing into this or living in some fantasy world, but--"

"Bits, no. I wasn't-- That's not why I'm surprised," Shitty explained. "You were so 'down with marriage' for a while there -- I didn't think you'd change your mind."

Bitty cringed. His ex-boyfriend had been adamantly against the concept of same-sex marriage, accusing those who did of "conforming to the straights' agenda." Bitty could see his point, or at least a sliver of it, but deep down he had never stopped hoping he could change his mind. "Yeah, I think I was just trying too hard before..."

"I know you felt like we gave you a hard time about that guy, but you know why right? You changed yourself so much for him and he didn't-- Listen, brah. You're perfect as 100% you, and fuck that guy for every wanting something different out of you. That fuckhead was never on your level."

"And who do you think is at my 'level'?" Bitty asked.

Shitty shrugged. "Someone who knows the difference between 'change' and 'growth' for one thing. Someone who likes you the way you are. Makes you happy, ya know?"

"Jack is all of those things."

"Happy to hear it."

"Yeah?"

"Fuck yeah. Look at these scrawny noodle arms -- fucking law school -- I wouldn't be able to take an NHL player in a fight." Shitty chuckled. "But I'd try, if I needed to."

"No need for your shining armor, Mr. Knight. Jack is a good man, it's not an act."

"So I can keep on loving him?" Shitty grinned. 

"Yes." Bitty laughed. "But not as much as me."

"I should hope not -- I _am_ a happily married man, you know."

"And where is that beautiful wife of yours? I feel like I haven't seen her in ages. And it's not that I don't love seeing her wonderful, confusing artwork on instagram, but I miss seeing her actual face. I was hoping she'd tag along tonight."

"Yeah, she was planning to but wasn't feeling well. I told her not to push herself for something like New Years. If all else fails, we've got a wedding next month to reunite the gang for sure."

"Oh won't that be fun, seeing everyone together again? It's taken all I've got not to pester those boys about the RSVPs but lord I'm so curious."

Shitty laughed. "Okay, before they get here... Be honest, how shocked were you by that engagement announcement? I literally fell out of my fucking chair, I shit you not."

"I admit, I was fairly shocked." Bitty laughed when Shitty flashed him an unconvinced look. "Okay fine -- I lost control of my voice and just kept _shouting_ all my words. I nearly scared off poor Jack. He thought I was angry but I just couldn't process it all so suddenly like that. I was expecting that they would start dating."

"Well then you were more prepared than I was." Shitty laughed. "Those extra little fuckers."

"You're not one to talk, Mr. Hey-let's-get-married-on-a-random-day-because-Johnson-is-ordained-and-stopped-by. I skipped a class to make to Boston in time because you only gave an hour's notice."

"I'm sure you were really broken up about skipping a class. Which one?"

"I don't even remember. Probably math or something." Bitty grinned. "But still, a little more notice would have been nice."

"Hey, blame Lards. She liked it so she put a ring on it." Shitty attempted a sorry excuse for the "Single Ladies" dance.

"Stop that. You're offending both me and my queen and savior Beyoncé Knowles."

"My bad, brah." Shitty nudged Bitty playfully with his elbow again. "So he's been staying at your place, huh? How's living together? I guess you're well-versed in the art of living with gross hockey bros."

Bitty smiled. "He's made me breakfast in bed three times this week."

"Well, _fuck_." Shitty laughed. "Lock that dude **_down_**, Bits. Join the spontaneous weddings club."

"Don't tempt me." Bitty looked around even though the only other person in the building at the moment was prepping in the kitchen. "He told me the other day that he's basically ready when I am. And part of me really does want to just say 'fuck it' and ride off into the sunset, you know? I can't explain it."

"Hey, when you know, you know."

"That's exactly what Jack's parents said." Bitty stopped chopping and put down his knife. "But it's crazy, right? I can't run off and marry someone after only a month. That's-- it's reckless, and short-sighted, and-- be my voice of reason here, I'm begging you."

"Well, as your lawyer--"

"--You're not a lawyer."

"In my professional opinion--"

"--You're not a professional."

"In my almost-professional opinion as an almost-lawyer who isn't going into family law--" Shitty caught Bitty in a playful headlock. 

"Don't mess up my hair!" Bitty laughed.

"I would _never! _Bits. Who do you know that has greater appreciation for all the various hairs of a man's head than me?"

"I hated every word of that sentence."

"But seriously, brah? Why do you want me to try to talk you out of a lifetime of happiness with the prettiest man on the planet?"

"Come on, Shits. You know how it looks. I don't want people to think I'm some gold-digger..."

"Does Jack think that?"

"Lord, no! If anything he wishes he could spend more money on things..."

"Then who gives a fuck what other people think? You know who you are, Jack knows who you are, **_we_** know who you are -- fuck the trolls, be happy. 'Haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate' - T Swift, 2014."

"You're the most ridiculous man I've ever met--"

"Hell yeah!"

"But I love you very much."

"Bring it in, brah. I love you too." Shitty hugged Bitty tight. "So hurry up and marry Zimmermann because then he's legally obligated to join our beer league team." 

"I thought I was coming to you for an unbiased opinion," Bitty teased.

"Nope! Super-biased. Gotta get that team going next year." Shitty hopped out of the way to dodge the bar towel Bitty threw at him. "You're probably not gonna find a lot of resistance in this quickie-wedding group. Lards and I decided that day, I'm amazed Rans and Holtzy are holding out two whole months without eloping. Your turn next."

Bitty sighed. "You and Lardo were together for years, Ransom and Holster have been joined at the hip since the first day they met... I've known Jack for a month and a half. It's not the same."

"You know that Lards and I spent an entire year trying to wingman each other with other people? And then she went on that semester abroad and I realized that I was being such a fucking tool. Here was the coolest woman I had ever met and I was too scared to make that leap? Even after she came back and we started hanging out, it still took the rest of the year to get my shit together. If you ask Rans and Holtzy, they'll tell you that we were as sure a thing as could be -- and I was still fucking terrified. I get being scared, but don't let that hold you back, okay?"

"Thanks."

"For the record, I really do get why you want to wait out the honeymoon period and all that. It's probably the smart thing to do. Breakfasts in bed will probably become less frequent over time..." Shitty grinned and Bitty laughed. "But if you find yourself at a point where your only concern is what others will think of the timeline or the money? Don't let that hold you back. You know what you know."

"Thanks, Shitty."

Shitty smiled and opened his mouth to speak when they were interrupted by a loud voice coming through the door. "Ladies and-- Gentlemen and Gentler-men -- who's ready to make some goddamn money tonight?" Holster announced.

"I know I am. Some of us have a wedding to pay for," Ransom answered as he walked in behind him.

"Yeah, Bitty will sooner rather than later," Shitty said with a wink.

"Excuse me, what?" Holster asked.

"He's joking! It's still a little while off before I have news like that." Bitty stepped around the counter and gave them both hugs. "Happy New Years, boys."

"The way you've been talking about Jack I honestly wouldn't even be that surprised," Holster said with a shrug. "But don't go running off down they aisle before us, okay? Wait like... 40 more days, bro."

"Bro, and don't propose _at_ the wedding," Ransom added.

"Oh my fucking god that happened at my cousin's wedding and it was an awkward fucking shit show," Shitty said with a laugh. "Another cousin of mine did it and my grandparents nearly wrote the guy out of their will."

"Yikes."

"Everybody settle down, I promise that I will wait until at least the afternoon of February 9th to get engaged. Good lord!" Bitty laughed. "And why are you suddenly so on board with the idea in general?"

"Because he actually treats you well and makes you happy?" Holster said with a tone that suggested the answer should have been obvious.

"Well, that is certainly true." Bitty smiled.

"Zimmermann made him breakfast in bed _three times_ this week!" Shitty spilled.

"What? Bro. Why don't you ever make me breakfast in bed?" Ransom gave his fiancé's shoulder a small shake.

"You don't either, bro."

Bitty stepped in. "To be fair, my breakfasts have been like, eggs and a protein shake. Nothing fancy."

"A protein shake with bananas?" Shitty asked, referencing the night he had been introduced to Jack.

"Oh, always." Bitty laughed. "Say, while we have a few minutes before everything opens... I was hoping I could ask y'all something. A favour..."

"What is it, Bits?" Ransom asked.

"I was wondering if we'd be able to spare me in the schedule for a few days at the end of January. Jack has his 'bye week' and asked me to take a little trip with him. I know this isn't a lot of notice, and with the wedding planning going on I'd totally understand if the timing isn't conducive--"

"I'm sure we can figure things out for a few days. Are you going to be gone the full week?"

"Oh, lord no. I think maybe 4-5 days?" 

"Hell, even I can fill an extra shift or two for one week," Shitty offered. "I can nap between my morning classes if absolutely necessary."

"Where are you going?"

"No clue. Jack only asked me today, and said we could decide once I cleared it with everyone." Bitty looked between his friends. "And y'all are sure it's okay? I feel bad running off on some silly vacation with my new boyfriend while everyone else has to fill the void behind me."

"Okay, a couple things there--" Ransom started with a laugh. "One, you're not the only person who works here -- we're not completely incapable without you. And two, you deserve to take a little break. Go take your fancy, unfairly short vacation with your super rich boyfriend. Let him pamper the fuck out of you with caviar massages and whatever shit millionaires do -- then come home and tell us everything."

"Oh, I already told Jack I didnt want it to be anything too crazy. I wouldn't be able to relax somewhere like that. He mentioned something about a 'three star all-inclusive' resort--"

"Bits, no. Don't make him take you on some regular vacation." Ransom looked horrified on his behalf.

"We're not going to judge you for going somewhere nice. You're not going to come back a changed man who's ready to quit and become a trophy husband. _We know you,_" Holster insisted.

Those words sounded eerily familiar to something Shitty said earlier. "Do you-- Does everyone sit around and talk about my love life when I'm not there?"

"Obviously."

"It's like, the most interesting thing about you right now."

"To be fair, we also gossip about everyone else's love lives too," Shitty pointed out. 

Bitty had to give him that, especially since they had spent part of their conversation earlier discussing the circumstances that led to Ransom and Holster's upcoming wedding. "Good point."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world is feeling a little rough right now. Be kind to yourselves and others. Practice social distancing and proper handwashing technique. Donate to local food banks if you can. If you're healthy and able to (fuck blood bans) contact your local blood bank about donating. A lot of appointments here were cancelled after the first COVID-19 cases were found, but emergencies still happen and some surgeries can't be postponed so blood is always needed. Programs like Meals on Wheels are also in need of volunteers drive around and deliver food to those most vulnerable to this disease. If you're sure you're healthy, please consider helping out where you can. Stay safe, everyone. Don't hoard toilet paper. Next chapter hopefully coming soon since it's like 50% done.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a little while coming, but on the plus side, it's very long. Enjoy!

Jack snuck back to his apartment after Bitty had left for work in order to get a few more changes of clothes, then had a small workout using the equipment in his apartment. He was just getting out of the shower when he received a text message. It wasn't from Bitty, but it did contain a picture of him. 

Amanda: [picture sent]

Amanda: Guess where I am right now?

Amanda: Are you coming down here tonight? I'm totally gonna kiss your boyfriend at midnight if you don't.

Jack: Neither one of you would enjoy that. Haha

Amanda: I might get experimental when I'm drunk. He is cute...

Jack: True. He is very cute.

Amanda: Better hurry. This is getting closer to happening every minute that you're not here

Amanda: [picture sent]

She sent a selfie with Bitty this time, then a second version with a crudely drawn arrow from her lips to his lips to emphasize how close their faces were. Jack laughed.

Jack: It's only 8 o'clock now.

Amanda: I can handle my booze.

Jack: You were wearing a paper bag on your head when we met. I'm not so sure about that.

Amanda: Dammit, Jack! Come drink with me and smooch your boi and hopefully help me find a cute girlfriend before the night is over.

Amanda: I'm so gay and awkward please be my wingman D:

Jack: I have to get ready first, but I should be there in about an hour.

Amanda: Hurry. I might be furiously making out with your boyfriend by then

Jack: You're strange.

Amanda: ahahahhahshajahahahaha

True to his word, Jack walked into the bar a little over an hour later. He had been on track to get there early, but his parents had called as he was dropping off his things at Bitty's apartment. They had talked for about twenty minutes before Jack finally excused himself from the call.

It was still early, so the crowd was sparse. It was easy to spot Amanda up at the bar, evidently telling Ransom an intense story with a hand on his wrist to keep him a literal captive audience.

Ransom's eyes went wide when he noticed Jack. "Oh hey! There's your friend now!"

"Jack! Fucking finally!" Amanda launched herself from the barstool, nearly tipping it in the process. Ransom made a hasty retreat while he had the chance.

"Whoa! Careful."Jack laughed, holding his hands out as a precaution as though she were a baby taking her first steps and could go down at any second.

"It'sscool. I'm wearing flats today so I won't break my ankles." She tapped the side of her forehead with one finger. "Cuz I'm smart."

"Haha, yeah. That's probably a good idea." How about we sit at a table that has low chairs with backs on them and order some food. I'm starving."

"Oh my god, good idea. Between you an' me? I'm kinda drunk already."

"You don't say..." Jack grinned. Amanda returned to the bar to grab her purse and then led the way to a booth at the back of the room. Jack paused at the bar with a little wave to Ransom and Holster. "Hey, just wanted to say congrats, boys. Haven't had a chance to see either of you in person since the engagement news."

"Thanks, bro." Ransom offered him a fist bump.

"Yeah, thanks man," Holster said with a nod.

Jack looked back towards the booth where Amanda was sitting. "Hey, do you have menus? I'm thinking food is a good idea."

"Yeah. I swear that's only the second drink she's on," Ransom said. "She's already like, grabbing my hand and asking me to be her wingman and shit." He chuckled.

Jack chuckled. "Well, she was wearing a paper bag over her head when we first met her, so I think I can handle this stage. Hopefully some food will soak up some of that alcohol."

"Oh my god!" Holster said in a stage whisper. "That's the paper bag chick? Shits told us about her. That night was a mess, huh?" He laughed.

Jack shrugged with a little smile. "I had a pretty fun time."

Amanda was finishing off her drink when Jack arrived at the table with two menus and two glasses of water. "Buddyyyy!" She chugged half of her water before opening her menu. "D'you think they have bread? I want like, a shitload of bread."

"Like a loaf?"

"Yeah."

"I don't think so."

"Fuck. They should. Why don't restaurants have bread for sale?"

"There's Mac and Cheese that comes with garlic toast?" Jack suggested.

"Hmm, maybe. I was thinking of-- oh! Wait! That bartender, where did he go? I was in the middle of asking him to be my wingman! I want to meet a pretty lady."

Jack chuckled. "I thought I was supposed to be your wingman tonight."

"I need all the help I can get, Jack."

"I think you're very... likeable?"

Amanda snorted. "Not helping my confidence, dude."

"Sorry, I don't know how to compliment you here without sounding like I'm trying to hit on you."

"Well now I _need_ to hear you try."

"You are fun and pretty, and I love my boyfriend very much."

Amanda cackled. "I'll take it."

"Hey there, handsome. Don't be getting up to any trouble in this booth. There's a security camera pointed right at you."

"I wasn't flirting, I swear!" Jack said a little too excitably when Bitty stepped up to the table.

"Well, that is the declaration of an innocent man if ever I heard one." Bitty chuckled and kissed Jack's cheek. "Scoot in a bit, honey. I can sit for a few minutes."

"You sure? I think your friends finally like me, I don't want them to change their minds because I'm distracting you," Jack said as he slid further into the crescent-shaped booth.

"Don't you worry about that, sweetheart. They've liked you for a while now." Bitty gave his thigh a reassuring squeeze. "They like that you make me happy and don't try to change me."

"Haha. Why would anyone try to change you? You're amazing."

Bitty glanced over at Amanda, who was enthralled with the menu, then looked back at Jack with a smile. "You realize which booth you sat in tonight, right?"

Jack looked around and spotted the aforementioned security camera. It only took a second for the memory to come flooding back from the first night they met. "Oh," he said with a sad smile.

"Oh? Honey, no! That was supposed to be a cute coincidence."

"I'm still so embarrassed that I stormed off like that."

"You shouldn't be. I understand why you did. I'm sure you've had your share of people scheming to get close to you."

Jack frowned deeper, remembering the most significant recent example of such a situation. An ex-girlfriend of one of his former teammates had shown up at his door with two bottles of wine after news broke that his engagement was over. They had often spent time together on double-dates before, so he hadn't thought anything of it at the time, just grateful to have a friend to talk to for a while. She evidently had other plans, and although Jack rebuked her advances, she claimed something had happened anyway in order to make her ex jealous. It had caused a sizable rift in the team dynamic, and Jack was certain it contributed to his trade.

He felt guilty for being suspicious of Bitty that first night, knowing now how kind and genuine he was. "Yeah, but still..."

"Don't fret about it, honey. Okay? You reeled me in anyhow." Bitty rested his head against Jack's shoulder with a small giggle. "You know what I remember the most about that night?"

"That I didn't know anything about whisky?"

"Well, that too... but I remember you asking me out with that adorably clumsy fishing metaphor while I had no idea you were even interested in men in general, nevermind little ol' me," Bitty said, prompting a little kiss from Jack. "You apologized for being too forward, but sweetheart I was just completely lost in the whole conversation."

"Haha. Sorry."

"Thank goodness you kissed me. I honestly don't think I would have realized you were interested."

"I've never actually done that before, you know? I usually don't even kiss on the first date," Jack admitted.

"WHAT?!" Amanda slapped her menu down on the table, reminding the lovestruck men of her presence. "Why? How?" She spotted Bitty and immediately lost her train of thought. "Hey Eric, do you have bread?"

"None on me at the moment," he replied with a grin, not missing a beat. "But if you're looking for recommendations on the menu, I'm sure I can help you out."

"Yes please! I just-- I know seafood is a big thing here but I just don't give a fuck about like, lobsters and clams and shit."

"What about that macaroni and cheese?" Jack suggested.

"It has _lobster_ in it!" Amanda whined.

"Not that one--"

"Over here, dear." Bitty leaned over the table and pointed to another item on the menu. "This one is made with barbecued pulled pork and--"

"Holy fuck, sold!"

Bitty laughed and turned to Jack. "And I think I can guess what you're going to order."

"Pfft! You think you know me that well, Bittle?" Jack grinned.

Bitty immediately pointed to a chicken tenders platter on the menu. "Well?"

"Haha. Okay, you got me. But I don't know if I want fries--" Jack followed Bitty's finger as he pointed out that poutine was one of the additional options for sides. "Haha. Okay, sold."

"Although now I'm a little worried about whether it will be up to your standards. Ransom said it's a good poutine, but apparently there are Opinions

amongst Quebecers about authenticity outside of the province."

Jack laughed. "I'll be nice, I promise."

"You're always nice. Be honest."

"Are you saying I'm not usually honest?"

"I'm saying that I want real feedback. I can vouch for the quality of my southern recipes, but I'm not about to squander the opportunity to get your thoughts on this about where I can improve the menu."

"Okay. You can count on me, Bits. I've got your back," Jack said, suddenly taking the task entirely too seriously.

"I know, sweetheart." Bitty stood up from the table and gave him one last kiss. "I'll go put in those orders right away. You kids have fun planning 'Operation: Amanda Gets a Girlfriend' over here."

"Haha." Jack watched Bitty walk away with a soft smile on his face.

"Okay, puppy. Your boy is right. We need a POA ASAP."

"Power of Attorney?"

"Plan of action!" Amanda laughed.

"Did you just call me 'puppy'?"

"Yeah, because you look like you're gonna cry every time he leaves the room."

Jack chuckled. "This is only the second time you and I have hung out. We barely know each other."

"Pfft! Shut up, we're basically best friends." She pulled a pen and a pad of paper out of her purse and looked up at Jack expectantly. "So?"

"So...?"

"Give me some tips. You snagged a cool guy like Eric, you must have some game."

"Oh? No, none whatsoever. Sorry," Jack apologized.

"Where'd you meet?"

"Here."

"Dude. You hit on him while he was working? Not cool."

"No. Or, not really? The bar was closed by then. We were both... Hmm." Jack frowned.

Bitty returned at that moment with new glasses of water for their table. "Orders are in, and I thought y'all might--"

"Bits."

"What's wrong, honey?" Bitty asked when he saw Jack's troubled expression. He looked over at Amanda for a clue, but she was suddenly fascinated by a photo on the wall, sipping her water and giving as much privacy as she could while still seated in the same booth as Jack.

"I... I owe you an apology for the night we met."

Bitty laughed. "You've apologized for that at least three times now. I completely understand why you walked out--"

"No, before that. I shouldn't have hit on you like that at your job. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable or intimidated--"

Bitty laughed again. "Intimidated? Sweetpea, no. You--" he kissed Jack's cheek and continued to snicker into the crook of his neck. "You have greatly misremembered your charm from that night. You weren't suave, you were adorable."

"Haha. Adorable?"

"You kept blushing. And you tried to play it cool by ordering 'whiskey' at a bar that _specializes_ in whiskey. Every follow-up question I asked just got you all flustered -- I felt a little bad to be teasing you so much. Also just to be clear, I didn't realize you were even trying to actually flirt with me until you kissed me -- and that was well after I invited you to stay behind and drink with me after the bar was closed. You're apologizing like you were grabbing my ass whenever I walked by and asking how much you had to tip to get me on my knees."

Jack stared at him, horrified. "Does that--"

"Not often, by any means... but not never, either. Honestly, the girls get infinitely more grief than any of the boys do. Becca -- that's Holster's sister -- she-- I should say she's one of Holster's sisters, you'll meet her at the wedding. Anyways, Becca works here part-time and she has a few doozies when it comes to awful customers. There was this one time where she was tending bar with Rans and I was in the kitchen and then I hear all this shouting. I guess some jerk thought he could get a little handsy and Ransom literally leapt over the bar and punched him, then chased him out the door. Lord, in all the years I've known that boy I've never seen him that angry. And-- Well, we have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to harassment anyway. I'll have you know that I've shooed my share of undesirables from this bar myself, so don't get it in your head that I need rescuing."

"Wouldn't dream of it. Not when you're packing these guns," Jack said as he squeezed Bitty's biceps.

"That sounds like you could be making fun of me, but I choose to interpret it as a compliment." 

"It was definitely a compliment." Jack nuzzled his neck then nipped at Bitty's ear.

Bitty squirmed his full body right out of the booth. "You leave my ears alone, I have a shift to work, Mr. Zimmermann." His cheeks were burning red. "Bedroom, only."

"You might need to toss me outta here, Bits."

"I just might," Bitty said with a laugh. "But it feels like you'd enjoy that too much."

Jack shrugged. "You've got nice arms, I can't help it."

Amanda looked back over at them. "You do have nice arms. Hey, puppy? Help me find a girlfriend with nice strong arms, okay? Someone who can just toss me over her shoulder then ride me off into the fucking sunset..." she stared off into the middle-distance lost to her daydream.

"Haha. I think you meant 'ride off with you' into the sunset," Jack pointed out.

"Nope!"

Bitty laughed and patted his stunned boyfriend's shoulder. "Well on that note I'm going to get back to that kitchen and leave you to this very important task."

"Please don't leave me I don't know how to react to that!" Jack whispered.

Bitty laughed and gave him an unhelpful kiss on the forehead. "Have fun, 'puppy'!"

Amanda had snapped out of whatever fantasy world her mind had gone too, and was focused again on the pad of paper in front of her. "Yo, Jackie-boy! The bar is getting busy, let's get crackin'. You promised to help me."

Jack chuckled. "Did I?"

"You must have _some_ pointers."

"I..." Jack looked over as Bitty emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of food for another table. "I think you should just be yourself."

"Pfft! Who are you my kindergarten mom?"

"Huh?"

"I don't need like a-- a afternoon special-- after school. Being myself is _awkward_, I need help."

Jack shrugged. "Then be awkward. If she's the right girl for you, she'll like the real you. Don't waste your time on someone who would only like you if you were different. I've been down that road, believe me, it's not worth it. I feel like I'm finally myself for the first time in my life, and it's because I'm not trying to change or hide anything about myself anymore. I really recommend it."

"I'll take it under consinneration-- consnideration-- huh? Consnider--" Amanda laughed. "Oh my god what is that word?"

"Consideration?"

"That's the one!" She shot finger guns at Jack. "Thanks, my dude."

"I'm going to run to the bathroom quickly. Are you okay here by yourself?"

"I don't know. Maybe you should grab me some water wings in case I fall in this glass of water."

"Huh?"

"For the love of god, go take a piss. I'll be fine." Amanda shooed him away. 

Bitty arrived with their food while Jack was gone. "Where--"

"Had to take a leak," Amanda replied before Bitty could finish asking. "Oh my god this smells so good. Hey, Eric?"

"Yes?"

"Aside from like, his obvious physical perfection, what made you fall for Jack? I wassasking him how he got you to date him and he wasn't very helpful."

Bitty chuckled and gave a little shrug. "He was very... genuine. He naïvely believed I wouldn't recognize him, but he wasn't trying to hide who he was. Jack was just a nice guy who seemed to genuinely be interested in what I had to say. What else could someone possibly want?"

"That ass."

"I--" Bitty laughed then nodded his head. "That's a bonus."

"You bet it is!" Amanda attempted a high-five that Bitty was in no way prepared for and smacked him in the arm instead. "Sorry."

"How are you feelin' now honey?"

"More water is probably good..." She admitted sheepishly. "I'm so stupid. I was so busy I didn't even eat lunch today. And then I skipped supper because I could get drunk faster on an empty stomach, but..."

"It happened a little too fast, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Don't worry, darlin'. It happens to the best of us." Bitty gestured to his friends behind the bar. "I mean, we were college athletes so that metabolism meant that it was rarer to have a minute where we were not eating, nevermind missing multiple meals, but... everyone overestimates their alcohol tolerance from time to time. There's a reason I started baking mini-pies and cookies at every frat party. I'll get you another glass of water, and we'll see how you're feeling after that."

"Thanks, Eric. Can we make out still later? Even if Jack's here?"

Bitty laughed. "Let's see how the rest of the night goes. We'll play it by ear."

"Great!"

*****

"I think I could go for a drink now," Jack said as he leaned forward on the bar. "If you know what I mean..."

Bitty paused, trying to figure out what else that could possibly mean. "You mean that literally, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"And do I even need to ask which drink you want?"

"Haha. I think you already know." 

"Who needs a man who is full of surprises, right?" Bitty winked and started making Jack's drink.

"I forgot to tell you earlier, but I spoke to my parents today. They're flying in for a visit the second weekend in February. They're really excited to meet you, Bits."

"Well, I am excited and terrified to meet them too."

"I mean, I guess you've sorta met them already on skype, but this--"

"Whoa, wait a second. Second week of February?" Bitty paused halfway through making the drink.

"Weekend."

"They're visiting over Valentine's Day?" 

"No, uh, wait." Jack pulled out his phone and checked the calendar. "The first is on a Saturday, so I was count that as the first weekend. Their flight gets in on the 7th, so the second weekend."

"That's-- The wedding is that weekend. On the 8th."

Jack looked back down at his phone. "Oh. I'll get them to switch flights to some other week--"

"NO!" Holster suddenly shouted. "Dude. They should come to the wedding!"

Bitty laughed and waved him off. "I'm sure you don't need to start worrying about reshuffling your seating charts..."

"Bitty. It's a bunch of folding tables in a community centre basement. We can add two more chairs for a literal hockey legend." Holster looked over at Jack. "No offense."

"I... _Should_ I be offended?"

"Holster, I don't--"

"Listen. Rans has worn number 11 since he was born."

"Since he was born? Come on, now you're just being--" Bitty stopped mid-sentence when Holster pulled out his phone and quickly found a picture of a very small baby in a Zimmermann #11 Canadiens onesie. "Why did you have that on hand?"

"Because Anna is dead-set on doing one of those video slideshow things that show us both growing up over the years and his mom just emailed me about 300 photos today. I think it was every single photo from his childhood."

Jack chuckled. "I thought he was from Toronto? Not a Leafs fan?"

"He is, but his _dad_ is a ride-or-die Habs fan and even though that might be punishable by death in Toronto, there was no changing that man's mind. Bad Bob is without a doubt their all-time favourite player. Hands down."

"I don't think that would be appropriate, Holster. They don't even know me, why would they want to go to a stranger's--"

"They would definitely go to a stranger's wedding," Jack interrupted. "I mean, they get invited to random things all the time for people they barely know. And a wedding for a couple of their son's friends isn't nearly as weird a stretch as some events they've gone to. They love weddings."

"Holy shit. Are you serious? Holy fuck. Yes."

"Haha. I'll give my dad a call right now."

Bitty protested but Jack was already holding the phone up to his ear. "Y'all are ridiculous. Why on earth would--"

"Hey, Papa? Want to go to a wedding when you're in town? No! No, no-- Haha! For some friends. Haha. No, not yet--" Jack flashed Bitty a smile while Bob said something on the other end of the line, then continued the rest of the conversation in French when Ransom came out from the kitchen with a food order.

Bitty finished making Jack's drink and tried his best to discern what he was saying to his father, especially when he heard his own name mentioned. Other than "maman" and "oui" he couldn't glean anything else about the conversation. Jack was smiling and laughing though, and that was always fun to look at.

Jack noticed Bitty watching him and pulled his phone away from mouth with a small chuckle. "What?"

"Nothing. You're cute."

"Haha. You're cute," Jack said back. "-- No, not _you_, papa! _Crisse!_" He laughed more. 

"I swear, Bitty. If you guys can pull this off that would be like the greatest wedding gift ever," Holster said to his friend while Jack wrapped up the phone call.

"Does that mean I don't have to get you a real gift?" Bitty teased.

"It absolutely does **_not_**," Holster was quick to clarify.

"--Yes, it's great that you think he's cute. No, not 'too'-- I was _clearly_ talking about Bittle. _Maman_..." Jack groaned in exasperation. "Okay, I gotta go. I'm at a bar. It-- No, it's Bittle's bar-- I know his name is Eric. I don't think he minds..." Jack looked at Bitty. 

"When you call me 'Bittle?' No, of course I don't mind sweetheart."

"Haha, okay good." He returned to the phone call he was trying to end. "I'm not bothering him at work, I'm here with my friend--" Jack spun around on the bar stool and spotted Amanda dancing with total strangers and let out a small sigh of relief. "She wants me to dance with her but I am not drunk enough for that yet so she's taking her shot with a group of straight girls. I should probably go help. Haha. Yeah, okay. Talk soon. Love you too."

"For the record, I am very interested in seeing you dance," Bitty said with a grin.

"You shouldn't be. I don't even know how to dance on my own. I've always kinda let the girls I was with take the lead. I don't know how to dance, uh, platonically. Where do I put my hands?"

Bitty raised an eyebrow. "Where do you usually put your hands?"

"Come dance with me and I'll show you." Jack grinned. 

"Bad call, Zimmermann. You won't be able to handle seeing Bits out there. He's a beast on the dance floor. Also, if he starts dancing we won't be able to get him to stop and we need him helping serve tables," Ransom said with a laugh.

"He's friendly, so he always gets good tips. Rans too. I have resting bitch face so I usually help in the back on busy nights," Holster explained.

"I don't think you have resting bitch face Holtzy," Ransom assured him.

"Wow. **WOW**. Ladies and gentlemen, I am marrying a **_LIAR!_**"

Ransom laughed and kissed his cheek as he grabbed some beers from the fridge to bring to one of his tables.

Jack got a text on his phone and quickly checked it. "Oh. Hey, uh, Holster? My mom wants to know where you're registered? Also your actual names. Haha."

"Are they seriously coming to our wedding?"

"Yeah," Jack replied. "This actually works great because I wasn't sure how to keep them entertained all weekend. I have games on Friday and Sunday night, but Saturday was going to be them stuck hanging out alone in my apartment. I guess I could leave them my key so they could go get dinner or something... Oh, but that doesn't matter anymore because they'll be at the wedding."

"Holy fuck. I can't believe an NHL star is coming to my wedding."

"Jack is _also_ an NHL star," Bitty pointed out.

Holster scoffed. "Now he's just your mushy boyfriend. He doesn't count."

Jack laughed and Bitty smiled knowingly at him. There were few things Jack seemed to enjoy more than people treating him like he was just some random dude. 

"I think they're all straight," Amanda dropped into the stool next to Jack. "Fuck, I'm so thirsty. Can I have a sip?" She helped herself to a taste of Jack's drink. "Holy shit. That's so good. What is that?"

"Oh, it doesn't really have a name yet..."

"I'm thinking of calling it 'the JLZ' because it's strong but surprisingly sweet," Bitty said with a wink at Jack.

Jack blushed lightly. "Haha."

"Would you like one, darlin'?" Bitty asked Amanda.

"Yes please. Also a glass of water loaded with ice, please. I'm dying. I danced for like ten minutes, why am I this hot? Is it a hot flash? Am I going through menopause?"

"I have no answer to any of those questions." Jack chuckled.

"I think I'm reaking of desperation and it's scaring everyone away," Amanda confessed.

Jack patted her on the back. "I think they're just straight."

"Yeah, maybe." Amanda sighed. "Do you know any women you could set me up with? There must be someone."

Jack thought for a moment. "Oh! Marty's sister! Except she lives in Canada and is married and like 15 years older than you. Nevermind."

"Okay, Jack? Puppy? Didn't think this needed to be said, but nobody who is married, dating, or otherwise in a relationship with someone else. Also, very helpful if she lives in this country. Ideally born within a decade of me -- but like, no more than two years younger than me, obviously, because we're in a bar."

"Got it." Jack nodded. "Wait, how old are you?"

"I'm 23."

"Aww." Jack chuckled. "I remember being your age..."

"Why, how old are you? Like, 25?"

"Haha. No, I'm--"

"Thirty-five? Oh god, are you like, 40?"

"Ouch. Wow. You think I look 40?"

"I thought you looked 25, but I've been told that hockey players never look their actual age so you're either like, my age or 38."

"I'm 29."

"Ohhh okay. That's normal, then."

"Thanks?"

"You're very welcome." Amanda leaned forward on the bar and pointed at the opposite end. "Hey, shithead! Wait. No. Fuck. Shit...ty? Yeah! Hey, Shitty! C'mere!" She snapped her fingers at him.

He was already laughing when he walked over. "You beckoned?"

"D'you know any cool lady-loving ladies?"

"Fuck yeah, the 'swawesomest chick around! _But_... I married her. Sorry."

Amanda groaned and hung her head in her hands. "Does anyone know any queer women who aren't already married? And live here? And are roughly my age?"

Ransom snapped his fingers. "April and March."

"They got married last year, brah. Remember?"

"Damn it."

"Okay, shoo. You're zero help." Amanda waved Shitty away and took a big sip of the drink Bitty placed in front of her. "You're still my boy, but you're a huge disappointment to me."

Shitty snickered as he returned to what he was doing at the other end of the bar. "Ouch. Flashbacks of my father with that one."

Holster pulled Bitty aside. "I literally have no clue who this girl is. How long have you known her exactly?"

"The whole paper bag thing was about a month ago? As the bachelorette party wound down she mostly just hung around at the bar chatting to Shitty and I. I guess Jack took a selfie with her at one point before he called it a night and they ended up texting back and forth since then."

Jack laughed when Amanda handed him her purse so she could go to the bathroom. "I don't really know how it even happened. Is this what it's like to have a sister?"

Ransom and Holster exchanged looks and shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much," Ransom concluded. Holster went to the back to check on the kitchen and Ransom left to do a sweep of the tables to see if anyone wanted to order more food or drinks, leaving Bitty and Shitty to tend the bar. 

A woman with short blonde hair stepped up to the bar beside Jack to order a beer, and did a double-take when she saw his face. "Hi," she said with a smile.

"Hey."

"I'm Norah."

"Oh, um, Jack. Hi." Jack glanced self-consciously over at Bitty. He never was particularly good at dealing with the women who flirted with him at bars, but having to do so in front of his boyfriend made him extra uneasy. "I have a boyfriend," he blurted out.

"I know," Norah laughed.

"Huh?"

"I know," she repeated, her cheeks turning red as she got a little flustered. "Look, I-- I'm sorry to bother you and I'll get out of your hair in a minute, I promise. But-- I just wanted to say thank you? I guess? I know men's hockey -- especially the NHL -- can be a bit of a shit show, and it took a lot of balls to come out like that."

"Oh, uh, thanks?"

"Guts! Not balls, ugh, I shouldn't have said that. It took a lot of _guts_." Norah raised a hand to her face and shook her head. "Anyway, it's great to meet you. I don't know what you do on the off-season, but it would be really cool if you came to pride this year. I have a couple friends who have never watched a hockey game before no matter how hard I tried to get them into it and now that you came out suddenly everyone wants to go to a game." She laughed.

"Haha. Really?"

"The first out gay player in the NHL is in our town? Hell yeah we're going to be supportive."

"I'm bi, actually."

"Wait really? Me too! Yesss!" Norah's face lit up even more than before. "Bi visibility, man! Way to go!"

"Haha."

It was only then that Norah realized Bitty had placed her beer in front of her and was patiently waiting for payment. "Oh shit, sorry! What do I owe you?"

Bitty would have been more persistent if they had been busier at that moment, but a temporary lull in orders allowed him the extra minute to spare. "It's--"

"--on me," Jack said and slid a ten dollar bill over to Bitty. He chuckled when Norah looked shocked. "Really. My treat. It's nice to meet you."

"Really? Awesome! Thanks so much! Uh, cheers!" Norah held out her bottle of beer and Jack raised his glass to clink them gently together.

"Cheers," Jack said with a smile. 

Norah was about to walk back to her table, but stopped. "Hey, did you want to sit with us? It's probably more fun than drinking alone."

"Oh? I, uh-- I'm here with a friend. She's..." Jack trailed off but lifted up the purse he had been holding in his lap as proof that she existed somewhere.

Amanda returned at that exact moment and snatched her purse back from his hands, causing Jack to panic for a second that he was being robbed. "Hey, pup. Thanks for watching my shit. I can't believe I broke the seal already..." she fished her eyeliner and a mirror out of her purse. "When was anyone going to tell me that I smudged my left eye? How am I ever going to meet a--"

Jack cleared his throat. "Hey Amanda? This is Norah."

"Wow. Hey. Hello. Hi!" Amanda gave a sheepish wave while simultaneously prodding Jack with her other elbow. "You have really nice arms."

Norah laughed. "Thank you? I played hockey in college. Did-- You're both welcome to join our table if you want. We have one of those big semi-circle booths but there's only like five of us... I'm the fifth wheel, actually. I only agreed to go out tonight because one friend referred to this place as 'the gay hockey bar' and, I mean, that's right up my alley." She laughed again. "I was beginning to doubt that but then here I find the one and only Jack Zimmermann, so it must be true."

"I'm single. Too. Uh, did you say you were single? I..." Amanda fumbled through her words.

"Well, not in those _exact_ words, but I did mention that I was a fifth wheel tonight." Norah grinned.

"Well, Jack has a boyfriend, but I am very much single. Maybe we could... be single together? Like in, uh--"

"Solidarity," Jack filled in for her.

"Yeah. Single in solidarity," Amanda said with more confidence than she would have had sober.

"We could go sit with them for a bit, eh? Sound good?" Jack suggested to her, and Amanda nodded her head enthusiastically. "You go on ahead, I'm just gonna order another drink and I'll be right behind you."

Amanda gathered her purse and her drink, pausing for a second to whisper "she's so pretty" in Jack's ear before following Norah over to the table. Jack finished his drink and flagged down Bitty for another once he was free.

"How's it going, sweetpea?" Bitty asked as he mixed the drink. 

"Good, I think? I think that girl might hit it off with Amanda. She's already over at that table with her friends, and I'm supposed to go over there for a bit too."

"Aww, look at you being a good little wingman." Bitty gave his hand a pat. "You go have fun and meet some new friends, okay? I'll be busy over here working anyway."

"As long as you can take a break for a minute at midnight..."

"Oh believe me, I will be getting a New Year's kiss from you, Mr. Zimmermann."

"Good."

Bitty slid Jack's new drink in front of him and gave a wistful sigh. "Until then I suppose I'll just be over here filling my mind with thoughts about all the things I want to do to you when we get home..."

"A penny for your thoughts, Bits?"

Bitty bit his lip and leaned in close to Jack's ear. "Nope!" He stepped back and gave Jack a flirty wink instead. "I'm going to let your imagination run wild for a little bit. It's more fun that way."

Jack chuckled as he paid for his drink. "Is this because I nipped at your ear earlier?"

"It _absolutely_ is, honey." Bitty grinned mischievously at Jack and gave a small wave goodbye as he went to serve a new customer who had approached to order.

******

"Doin' one more quick run of orders before the countdown starts. Can I get y'all another round of beers?" Bitty stopped by the table where Jack and Amanda were sitting with their new group of friends. A chorus of "yeahs" came in response from everyone but Jack.

"Actually, I want a--"

"Oh don't worry, sugar. I know _exactly_ what you want," Bitty winked. "I'll be right back with those drinks."

"Haha." Jack watched Bitty walk away and then turned back to the rest of the table with a slight blush. It was almost midnight, which meant that he still had another two hours to wait until the bar was closed and he had any chance of getting Bitty home and all to himself. He didn't know what Bitty had been thinking, but Jack's mind was racing with scandalous thoughts. 

Was it possible to die from not being able to kiss your boyfriend? Jack wondered if it could happen, but also knew that he was four drinks deep and the alcohol was probably responsible for some of this long-lost impulsivity. 

"That bartender wants you _so_ bad, dude."

"Oh? Haha, I hope so?"

"Your boyfriend doesn't mind you shamelessly flirting like that?" One of the other men at the table asked.

"I think he's pretty much encouraging it at this point."

"Really?" Norah looked inexplicably disappointed. "Do you think you're going to break up or something?"

Jack laughed. "I sure hope not. I don't think there's any plan for that at least. Oh boy, if that's what he wants to do tonight after the bar is closed that would be such a bummer. Haha!" There were few things in his life that Jack could say he had been 100% certain about, but he knew that Eric Bittle the world's cutest bartender/boyfriend wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. 

"Oh my god! I love this song! Who the fuck wants to dance?!" Amanda slid out of the booth along with Norah, the lesbian couple, and one of the men. "Jack?"

"Maybe a little later," Jack said, choosing to remain at the table with the other man. "You're not gonna dance?" Jack asked him. What was his name again? Colton? Michael? Greg? Jack had no clue.

"No can do. I guess you can't really see it under the table but I have a cast on my foot. It's one of those walking boot ones, but I'm not going to tempt fate trying to dance with it," what's-his-name said. 

Bitty returned to the table with half of the drinks, having delivered some to the dancers as he passed the small dance floor along his way. "Not dancing, Mr. Zimmermann?"

"Haha not yet. Maybe you should demonstrate?"

"Don't you worry, honey. You play your cards right and I will show you _all kinds_ of moves tonight." 

"I can't wait."

"Two minutes to countdown. You know where to find me, handsome." Bitty winked and went on his way.

"Fuck, he's so hot..." Jack said, only vaguely away that there was someone else sitting at the table having to witness their charged flirting. "Sorry."

"It's fine..." The guy smiled a little, then sighed. "I guess we were all just kinda hoping that the guy who just became famous for having a boyfriend would be like, _monogamous_ at least. I get it though. I have other friends who do the whole commitment-not-monogamy thing..." he sipped his beer.

Jack sipped his drink as well as he tried to process what was just said. His first thought landed on the claim that he only became famous a week ago when he revealed that he had a boyfriend. Then again, Norah had said earlier that a lot of her friends didn't watch hockey. What was that second part about? Where did this idea that he wasn't monogamous come from? Did that word have some lesser-known alternate definition?

"I-- I would never cheat on my boyfriend."

"Oh. Good. So this is like some kind of kink thing? Going out in public and flirting like crazy, then going home and telling him all about it? As long as you're both into that then that's cool I guess."

Jack took another big sip of his drink. "Huh? Why would I need to tell him?" He laughed.

"Don't you think he would care if he knew his boyfriend was out there brazenly flirting with some cute bartender all night?"

It took a moment for the words to sink in. "He **_is_** my boyfriend."

"Oh my god! What?!" The other man started laughing. "For real?"

"Yes? I-- I came out by commenting on instagram on a photo he was in and the screenshot got shared around everywhere. I assumed everybody knew what he looked like now."

"Not really. It wasn't exactly a close shot and he was pretty bundled up in that picture."

"Haha, aww yeah. He's from Georgia so he doesn't handle the cold too much."

"Ohhh, _that's_ the accent!"

"Yeah, he--"

"LISTEN UP, EVERYBODY! THIRTY SECONDS TO GO!" Holster announced over the thrum of the music. He was not holding a microphone, but his voice carried.

"Oh shit. I'll be right back." Jack sprung from the booth and ran to find Bitty. To his shock, Bitty wasn't standing behind the bar at his usual station.

"HERE WE GO! 10! 9! 8..."

Bitty burst through the kitchen door and laughed when he saw Jack ready and waiting for him. "Sorry, I got distracted in the back."

"5! 4! 3!"

Bitty hopped up into Jack's arms and wrapped his legs around his waist right as the clock struck midnight. Jack stumbled back a step in an effort to brace himself, then took the opportunity to hook his hands underneath Bitty's butt under the guise of holding him up. They made out for fifteen seconds before either of them spoke.

It was Bitty who broke away laughing. "Why did that feel like such an intense moment? I literally threw the mop I was using and _ran_ out here to find you when I heard that countdown! God forbid I kiss you one second after midnight!" He buried his forehead against Jack's shoulder and laughed even more.

"I ran away mid-conversation with that other guy at the table-- Oh!" Jack spun them both to the side and looked over to see that man passionately making out with his boyfriend who had apparently hurried back from the dance floor moments after Jack took off. "Oh good, his boyfriend got him. Haha."

"_Your_ boyfriend got you too."

"Haha. He sure did..." Jack kissed him again. The rest of the bar was currently preoccupied with celebrating the new year with kisses, hugs, and pictures of their own, so Bitty could spare another minute or so in his boyfriend's arms. "I've had five drinks already," Jack said between kisses.

"I know, honey. I just brought you your fifth."

"Finished it already."

Bitty laughed against his lips. "Jack, sweetheart, how drunk are you right now?"

"Very. S'okay though. I'm having fun."

"Okay, good." Bitty ran a hand through Jack's hair. "You can probably put me down now."

Jack kissed his neck. "I dunno. Kinda wanna carry you right on home. Also, I think nobody at that table realized that you were my boyfriend. I told that guy though so hopefully you'll still get tips and stuff. I'll make sure everyone knows you're not trying to steal me from you."

"Thank you for that." Bitty laughed again at the ticklish feeling of Jack snickering against his neck. "Okay, it's really time to get back to work for me."

Jack eased Bitty's feet back onto the ground but didn't let go yet. "Happy New Year, Bits."

"Happy New Year, sweetpea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack just has to sit on that one bar stool and he somehow summons gays to his side. It's the same place he was sitting when he met Bitty the first time, and when Amanda stumbled over with a paper bag on her head and decided that Jack was friend-shaped. Now Norah.  
Did Amanda and Norah make out at midnight? 1000%. Was Operation: Get Amanda A Girlfriend a success? We'll have to wait and see...  
Spoiler alert: Yes. Yes it was.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zimbits vacation time!  
Full disclosure, there isn't much vacation happening here. When I first wrote Jack asking Bitty to take a trip with him during Bye Week, I had no idea that the world would be confined to our homes by the time I sat down to write it. So they're on vacation (in Hawaii because I've been there lol) but mostly they're having a big conversation.
> 
> *************************************  
TW: mention of past suicide attempt  
*************************************

"Oh, _honey!_" Bitty stretched out like a starfish on the large bed, dressed only in a bathrobe and slippers. "I know I fussed when you first booked that couple's massage but after that sunrise hike you dragged me on this morning..."

"Just what you needed?"

"Mmhm..." Bitty propped himself up on an elbow and beckoned Jack to join him. "I don't think I've ever been this relaxed in my life."

"Haha." Jack crawled into bed beside him. "Figured it might be a nice treat. Maybe we can go down to the beach for a bit? Get a swim in before the sunset photography tour."

"The beach can wait," Bitty said as he slung one leg over Jack's thigh then lazily pulled his body on top of him. "Right now my mind is full of other thoughts..."

"Oh?" Jack grinned. "Like what?"

"Like how I want to overwrite every inch of your body that was touched by someone else just now with my own hands..." Bitty reached down between them, loosening the belt of Jack's bathrobe in the process.

"Haha. Didn't get a massage _there_, Bits."

"Their loss, my gain..."

Jack chuckled and pulled Bitty's hand away, holding it instead. "In a minute. There's something I wanted to give you first." Jack rolled Bitty onto his side and got out of bed.

Jack rooted around in his suitcase and returned with something held behind his back. Bitty's heart started to race and he sat up in bed. "Jack? What are you...?"

"I meant to give this to you earlier, but now feels like as good a time as any, so before I forget--"

"Honey, wait! I-- This-- It's too soon. I can't!"

Jack revealed a sample set of assorted flavoured macadamia oils. "I went out and bought these during your post-hike nap. I know you were curious when we saw them in that store the other day, and it turns out they have these little bottles, so you can try them all."

"Oh? Oh thank g-- you! Thank you, sweetheart!" Bitty clutched the gift set to his chest and leaned in to kiss Jack.

"You're welcome," Jack replied. He hugged Bitty close and rested his chin on his shoulder. "...Guess it's a good thing I wasn't proposing, eh?" He asked quietly.

Bitty winced. "Oh! Oh, honey..." He put his gift down on the bed and held both of Jack's hands. Honestly, Bitty hadn't been expecting he would react to a potential proposal like that either. "I... It's not that I don't _want_ to, please believe me. I love you very much, but I'm not ready."

To Bitty's surprise, Jack smiled and let out a small sigh. "That's a bit of a relief, actually."

Bitty smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah, I... Don't get me wrong, I have every intention of marrying you someday--"

"And I have every intention of marrying you," Bitty reassured him.

Jack squeezed Bitty's hands and looked down. "It's just-- It's a little hard to explain. I... Like, guys I guess usually don't get too involved in the details of wedding planning? For like, straight couples at least? But I actually did a lot of the work with my ex-fiancée, and had to do **_all_** of the work cancelling everything afterwards. It... I still have some baggage from that, I guess."

"Sweetheart..." Bitty gave him a gentle kiss again. "I'm sorry that happened to you. It's more than okay to wait until you're truly ready. Please don't feel like you have to commit to some rush down the aisle with me because you've mentioned marriage a couple times. We're not on any set schedule. I don't care when we cross the finish line, as long as we're side by side."

"Thanks, Bits." Jack wrapped his arms around Bitty's torso and slid them both back down onto the bed, his head resting on Bitty's chest.

Bitty lovingly stroked Jack's hair. "You absolutely don't need to, but do you _want_ to talk about it? The baggage you mentioned... you can talk to me about anything, you know? Lord knows you've been so supportive of me with the things I've told you..."

"It's just stupid..." Jack sighed.

Bitty waited for him to say more, but he didn't. "I assure you that I will not think so."

Jack's arms tightened ever so slightly around Bitty and he took a deep calming breath. "I was so humiliated. It would have been one thing if she cheated, or we broke up, or if I had to deal with the fallout alone, but all three? Everything was so... **_public_**. I couldn't escape any of it. And one of the guys who was supposed to be in the wedding party... fuck. We don't even talk anymore. He was my teammate at the time and his ex-girlfriend started this rumour afterwards that she had slept with me as a way to make him jealous. Of course he believed her..."

"Oh sweetheart, I never heard all that before."

We didn't have sex, by the way. I thought she was my friend too, but apparently she just trying to use me to make him jealous. She _did_ come over to my apartment, but when she tried to take things to a, uh, more-than-friendly level I asked her to leave. Didn't matter though, she just said we did anyway."

"That's awful. That must have really hurt when she did that. Especially when your teammate didn't believe you afterwards."

"Yeah..." Jack sighed. "Obviously it all worked out for the best. The engagement ending, getting traded... and getting injured, too -- it's the only reason I walked into your bar that night. But at the time? That whole year was... it was just more failures in the public eye again. I dealt with enough of that growing up, and for what felt like everything to come crashing down in quick succession, I-- I was pretty overwhelmed."

"I don't blame you. That's a lot to deal with all in one year. I think anyone would have trouble trying to deal with all that at once."

"Yeah," Jack said quietly. "It was a low point, for sure. I hadn't felt that bad about myself since..."

"Since your overdose?" Bitty filled in when Jack trailed off. 

"Yeah." Jack turned his head so his chin was now resting on Bitty's chest. "Sorry, this is heavy stuff to bring up on vacation. You'd probably rather go to the beach."

Jack made a small movement to get up, but Bitty kept his hand gentle yet firm on his back. "I'd rather talk about this, if you feel you're ready to tell me." He smiled when he felt the tension leave Jack's shoulders, and rubbed his fingertips in a circular motion in the place between his shoulder blades.

"That feels nice."

"I'm glad."

"I used to think I'd be dead by now," Jack said more bluntly than Bitty had expected. "I never thought I'd make it to 30. I...didn't _want_ to make it to 30... or 25, or 20, even. I just couldn't see a future where I could ever be **_me_**\-- and I-- I don't even mean like, being out as bisexual -- hell, I didn't even know there was a _word_ for it back then -- but around the time I hit 14 or 15 the title of 'Bad Bob's son' started to feel like it was crushing me."

"Oh sweetheart..."

"When I was a kid, my dad was like the ultimate superhero, you know? He was _the best_ and every comparison was a compliment. I got told constantly that I was a natural, that hockey was in my blood, that the NHL was my destiny -- nobody expected anything less than greatness. Every loss, every missed goal, every fanned shot -- I started internalizing it all. I'd watch old tapes of my dad's games and think _he could've made that shot, I should have too._ I was a kid comparing myself to video of one of the greatest hockey players who has ever lived, cursing myself for not being on the same level at half his age. And he was the youngest player drafted in history at the time, so even when I was 16 or 17, there was still this looming 'he was practically my age when' cloud looming over me. He was in the Hall of Fame, he had statues, there was even one time--" Jack laughed a strange, strained laugh.

"Honey?"

"We were coming back from my grandfather's funeral in Jonquière and we stopped at one of those little roadside diners that is basically just a glorified gas station, and this guy... he came over to take our orders, and not only recognized my dad immediately, but then he just took off this shirt to show him this tattoo and-- it was my dad's face, just right there on his shoulder. Forever. And the lack of privacy never really registered as anything unusual in my life before then, but here we were in the middle of nowhere with some fucking shirtless guy asking my dad to autograph everything he can find and then he-- he passes me a piece of paper and was like 'you sign too, I bet this is going to be worth a lot of money someday' and I did it then... I just burst into tears."

"Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry."

"I-- My grandpa had just died, we were in the middle of nowhere and _still_... I don't know why that's when it fully hit me out of everything, but that's when I realized that my life would never be my own. If I could somehow get out from under my dad's shadow, I'd still owe myself to everyone else. I didn't want that, but I didn't know how to stop it from happening. My career was a lifetime in the making and it was this unstoppable freight train that was going to barrel full speed no matter what. I could cling to it for dear life and see how far I could go, or I could let go and..."

"Fall?"

"Yeah." Jack said quietly. "My mom explained away to that guy about the funeral and they ordered our meals to-go. I remember sitting in the back seat with a container of cold food and my mom driving and my dad just... so fucking mad at me. I was too old to be crying like that, I embarrassed myself in front of that fan, it's part of the job -- a job I didn't even have yet -- to smile and sign whatever they want, I should be flattered that he asked for my autograph too because it will be worth a lot of money someday... Be a man. Toughen up. You're a hockey player, you're not allowed to cry."

Bitty held Jack tighter. He knew that line all too well with his own father growing up. Even at five years old, scared and in pain on the field of his peewee football game he knew he was supposed to be tougher, that only girls and sissies cried, that he was making his father look bad. 

Jack sighed. "That feeling never really went away after that. It stuck in the back of my mind that somewhere along the way the world decided that I owed them a hockey career whether I liked it or not. The game wasn't fun anymore, until... Well, until I met Kenny." 

Jack shifted positions a little so that he could throw one leg over Bitty's thighs, as if trying to reassure him how much he cared that it was Bitty more than else with him at that moment. "He was fun. A lot of fun. He made hockey fun again. He made me happy in a way I didn't realize I had been missing, just by being around him..." Jack sighed. "But we were also 17 and the whole team was starting to party, and... drinking made me happy, too. And one of the guys on the team could score coke every now and then and that... that worked too."

There it was. Rumours had swirled around for years that Jack used to do coke -- according to some threads of that rumour, people suspected he still did. Bitty knew for a fact that part was false, but he could never be certain about Jack's past.

"It wasn't as often as anyone says," Jack answered the question that Bitty hadn't asked. "But it was, eugh-- it was more than once. And there was one party where everyone was especially fucked up and some photos got leaked. We were a bunch of dumb drunk-at-least kids, nobody thought to conceal what was on the table or-- I scored a hat trick that night I think and Kenny sat down in my lap and gave me this big kiss on the cheek and called me a 'fuckin' beaut' in front of everyone. Nobody thought too much of it at the time, but someone managed to take a picture of him still sitting on my lap. When all those pictures went public a month later it started a whole bunch of rumours."

"Was that the night you and Parson started..."

"No. Well, not really. It was the night that I think we both realized that we felt something, but uh, nothing really came of it for another few months. We started spending a lot of time together after that, though. If one of us had been a girl people probably woulda chirped us a lot more but nobody suspected we were, uh, messing around."

"Is that really all it was?"

Jack gave a strange chuckle. "No. It was-- it was _something_, but... that's a whole other thing. The stuff with Parse, uh, we've-- we've never really known what to call what we had. We were just a couple of scared kids tryin' to figure things out together. We were friends first and foremost... but the rest is complicated."

"We don't have to discuss that now if you're not comfortable sharing."

"It's not that I have anything to hide, it's just... it feels weird telling you like, personal stuff before you meet him. I know it's my past too, but still."

"Am I meeting him?" Bitty asked.

"Yeah, the next time we place the Aces is a home game, so if you're okay with that, he wants to meet you."

"He wants to meet _me?_"

"Of course." Jack chuckled. "Don't look so shocked, Bits. I've told him about you -- I've told everyone about you."

Bitty hummed happily and stroked Jack's hair. "That's certainly true, isn't it?" 

Jack had agreed to sit down for a television interview a few weeks prior while on a road trip to California. He talked about his decision to come out, and the way he unintentionally broke the news to the world. He mentioned the teenagers that he and Bitty had played shinny against, unnamed for the sake of their privacy, and how the one boy's heartfelt reaction was what prompted him to want to make a clearer statement about his new relationship and sexual orientation. It had been sweet and respectful. Informative without digging too much into personal details. Jack smiled every time he said the name 'Eric' and the smitten look on his face had not gone unnoticed.

People had figured out through context that the 'Eric' Jack was speaking about was indeed Eric Bittle, first out NCAA Men's Hockey captain, and there had been a mild rush of people showing up at the bar trying to get Bitty to sit down for an interview of his own, but thankfully that had died down before their 'bye week' vacation.

"I really love you," Jack said with a happy sigh, placing a kiss on Bitty's chest and snapping him out of his thoughts about the interview.

"I love you too, sweetpea." Bitty smiled. He assumed that was Jack's way of changing the conversation away from the topic of Kent Parson and his past overdose, even though Jack had not actually told him about the latter. 

"I never knew I could have this, you know? A life of my own outside of hockey. A partner who is so loving and supportive..." Jack's mouth quirked into a smitten grin as he looked up at Bitty, then turned his head again to break eye contact. "I'm happy I'm here."

"I'm very happy we're here too, honey. This place is gorgeous. But to be clear -- I'd be happy anywhere with you."

"No, I meant _here_ here. Like..."

_Alive_.

The word stung in Bitty's chest and stuck in his throat. He knew what Jack was saying, but couldn't bring himself to speak it. The thought that Jack -- the most wonderful man he had ever met, with his silly laugh and kind heart -- that there was once a time when his gentle soul nearly left this earth-- the thought hurt too much for Bitty to put into words.

"It wasn't an accident." Jack's sudden admission sucked the air out of Bitty's lungs. "My parents or agent or whoever it was -- I don't even know, those first couple weeks were such a blur -- managed to spin the story to say that I accidentally took too many pills for my anxiety disorder, but... I mean..."

"Go on," Bitty's voice cracked as he spoke and Jack looked up at him, momentarily shocked by his emotional reaction. "Please."

"You don't have to cry, Bits. I made it through," Jack said, intending the 'spoiler' to be lighthearted but instead making Bitty outright sob. "Shit. I made it worse."

Bitty shook his head and dried his eyes on the shoulder of Jack's robe. "No, you didn't. You-- I'm so sorry you ever felt like-- Ugh! Look at me blubbering away and not letting you talk. Sorry, I--" Bitty peppered little kisses on Jack's forehead and down the bridge of his nose. "I love you so much, okay? And if you _ever_ for _any_ reason-- Sorry, honey. Please go on. Only if you want to, but please..."

Jack nuzzled against Bitty's chest. He felt guilty for the emotional state Bitty was now in. His suicide attempt was oddly enough the part of his past he had the most practice talking about. He'd discussed it with every therapist he'd had since, with Kent, with his ex-girlfriends, and with his parents at length -- both individually and together. Jack was in a better place now with his mental health, and he could discuss the events of a decade ago with some distance from the emotional turmoil he felt at the time.

"Well, uh, like I said before... Kenny made hockey fun again. I was having a great time with the team, with him, with everything. I naïvely thought I had 'cured' my depression and anxiety. But uh, what's that saying? 'Nothing gold can stay?' The closer it got to draft day the more I started losing my control of the situation. The interviews, the articles all comparing me to my dad or to Kent. And Kenny and I... we played good _together_, but how would anyone know how I'd stack up on my own on a new team? We weren't getting drafted to the same team, obviously. What if I got out there and was just some worthless failure?

"And don't get me wrong -- it's not like I _never_ exceeded my recommended dosage for my anxiety meds. Sometimes I'd get distracted and take a second one 10 minutes after the usual dose, or sometimes I would take a second one to help take the edge off... but it's pretty impossible to take 50 pills by accident." Jack shrugged his shoulders. "I was just so tired."

"Tired?"

"Of everything. Not having control of my own life. The next morning I was going to get called up in front of thousands of people and be told what to wear and where to stand and when to smile, all while being bombarded with questions and camera flashes... and I just knew I couldn't do it. And it wasn't like I could wake up the next morning and say 'hey, I don't want to do this anymore' either. My dad... I didn't dare even try to bring that up. The draft was all we'd talked about for weeks. As long as I was breathing, I was going to be at that draft. I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it anymore."

"Oh, Jack..."

"I woke up in the hospital room while my mom had gone home to shower and call family and everything apparently. I went to touch my face but someone was holding my hand. I was so disoriented that it probably took a minute to register where I was and who was with me. My dad was slumped over my hospital bed in his chair, fast asleep, but holding my hand. My first thought was just pure dread. I thought for sure he was going to be furious. I remember--" Jack shook his head suddenly. This part was harder to talk about than everything that led up to that point.

"Take you time, honey."

Jack let out a strained, quiet laugh. "I looked around the room and I was staring up at my IV bag trying to figure out if it was something that I could tamper with. Then I looked over at my little bedside table hoping that maybe there was a scalpel left on my tray next to the jello cup... Just stupid stuff. Anything in reach that I could use to finish what I'd started, you know? I would've rather died than had to deal with looking my father in the eye and seeing how disappointed he was in me. And while I was squinting at the IV bag trying to read it again... he woke up."

"But he wasn't mad?" Bitty guess with a soft smile.

"It was almost worse, in a way. My dad cried. Really cried. He was sobbing, I-- I'd **_never_** seen him like that before. He was a tough man. He was a hockey player. He wasn't supposed to cry. What if someone saw him? Wouldn't he be embarrassed? He didn't even cry at his father's funeral. Why was he kissing my forehead and crying and saying how sorry he was over and over now. I thought I was the one who was supposed to apologize for what I'd done. For being weak, and disappointing everyone..."

"Sweetheart," Bitty said gently, wishing he could offer more to the conversation.

"Things changed after that. Not all at once, but things changed. I changed, my dad _really_ changed... He-- that stuff I said earlier about how he got mad when I cried after his dad's funeral? That's not the guy you're going to meet when they visit. About a month after everything happened, he-- well, it started with some family sessions because clearly I needed it, but then after that he started going to therapy himself. He'll probably tell you all about it when you meet him, haha."

"Really?"

"Yeah he's pretty open about it. I think-- I know that he had a lot of guilt when everything finally came out about how I had been feeling and what I had been doing. How I felt pressured into staying with hockey and how afraid I was of disappointing him... That last part especially."

"I can only imagine..."

"But I don't blame him for how he used to be. Maybe he _should've_ known better, but he didn't. The thing is, once he did know better? _He did better._ There's some things people can't change, but other things can with enough work. My grandfather-- he was always fine with me, but he was a bit of a tyrant when my dad was growing up, I guess. The stories he tells sometimes..." Jack trailed off. "My dad broke that cycle though. A little late, sure, but he did. And I... I won't pass that down to my kids, I **_know_** that."

Bitty waited a minute before speaking, to be sure that Jack was done. "Thank you for telling me all that, sweetpea. It means so much even though it-- Lord, it breaks my heart to think that you ever felt that alone. I'm so happy you're here and that you're doing well, and if you-- If you ever _don't_ feel well, that's okay too. I will support you any way I can."

"Thanks, Bits." Jack shimmied up the bed and pulled Bitty into a spooning hug.

Bitty relished the warm hug for a minute, but one thought still bothered him. "Can I ask you something personal?"

"Anything." Jack smiled and nuzzled Bitty's hair. 

"It's just... Do you _want_ to play hockey? The things you said about how it made you feel before..." Bitty waited to feel the tension in Jack's body, but it never came. "You don't feel that way anymore?"

"Not anymore," Jack replied softly. "There are still days here and there where I feel a little stuck... but they're rare. The feeling passes. I told myself if that feeling ever _really_ came back, I'd retire, but usually it's just something that pops into my head for a few hours on a long roadie or something. By the time I get back out on the ice again it's long gone."

Bitty grabbed Jack's hand and gave it a kiss. "Good. If you ever start feeling like there are more bad days than good, please tell me. I'll help you find something new that brings you joy. At the very least, I can hire you to help me with some baking videos," Bitty added, making Jack laugh.

"Haha, I'd like that."

"Can I ask something else?"

"You don't have to keep asking if you can ask, you know?" Jack laughed. "I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"Noted. I was wondering... what changed? How did you get that passion back for the game?"

Jack hugged Bitty closed and let out a happy little hum. "Remember how I said I coached kids for a little bit?"

Bitty had actually forgotten that fact, but it did sound familiar. "It rings a bell."

"That's what did it. The pressure was off. Those kids were just so... happy. They loved the game. They reminded me how much I used to love it. _Why_ I used to love it. Why I _still_ did. My dad was worried and my mom hated the idea, but two and a half years later I was playing my first NHL game. I was ready for it then."

"I'm glad. It really is incredible watching you play, you know?"

Jack chuckled and nipped at Bitty's ear. "Thanks. It's always nice to meet a fan."

"Well you're in luck, Mr. Zimmermann." Bitty twisted so that he was now facing Jack.

"Oh?"

"Because I just so happen to be your number one fan when it comes to everything you do."

"_Everything_, eh? You sure about that?" Jack's hands travelled freely across Bitty's body.

"I'm pretty sure. Maybe you could try a few things on me to confirm..." Bitty kissed Jack's neck and rolled so that he was on top of him.

"I think we can figure something out." 

Bitty sat up, straddling Jack's hips while he removed his bathrobe. He leaned down and kissed his lips longingly yet gentle. "Hey, Jack?"

"Yeah?" Jack grazed his fingers up and down Bitty's thighs. 

He wasn't sure if it was the rawness of their recent conversation, or the afternoon sun pouring in through their balcony window, but Bitty was overcome in that moment. "Marry me someday?"

Jack smiled and nodded his head. "I like the sound of that," he said before pulling Bitty back down for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: a wedding!  
Meeting your boyfriend's famous parents at your best friends' backyard wedding is a totally normal thing that Bitty definitely doesn't have any issues with lol
> 
> Shameless plug time: We're all a little lost with Check Please ending, but if you're looking for a new webcomic to become obsessed with, I highly recommend Demon of the Underground. It's a futuristic LGBTQ urban fantasy comic about a thief who ends up in the Underground -- a society descended from the worst criminals exiled literally underground centuries before.  
I've been reading this comic for years and it is amazing. There is a series of prequel novels on patreon for $2/month that take place 5 years before the webcomic and I am obsessed with all of it. The webcomic is free at demonoftheunderground.com please read it with me. Then come find me on tumblr @tdkeh because I need to scream about it all the time.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


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